Legend of Zelda: The Time Keeper
by Hikari no Vikki
Summary: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and is caught up in a war that seems impossible to win. (Main Pairings: Link/Zelda, OC/Dark Link)
1. Light's Awakening

Chapter One: Light's Awakening

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 1

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / Dark Link x OC

Disclaimer: If all this were mine, I would have made Kingdom Hearts use Hyrule as a world already.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

* * *

A girl stood in front of an altar; her bright, auburn hair swaying slightly though the air is still and quiet. Three stones that glitter like jewels twirl in the air an inch above the altar before her. It's cold here. She shivers. Beyond the altar lies a corridor, and beyond that is a pedestal: but it holds nothing.

_Where am I? Why am I here?_

Unanswered questions run through her head tirelessly. For what seems hours she ponders them, searching for answers in the darkness. This darkness bit her, but was not wholly unkind. It was almost…prompt? Why in Din's good earth was it so cold? She could feel her breathing quicken. She could breathe?

She didn't know how long she had been there. She wished she knew. Wind blew her snow-white dress. Again wind blew, chilling her. A thought finally came to her mind.

Her best friend, Link. That was why she was there.

He pulled the sword and then he was…gone. He was gone. Gone where? And where exactly, was here? She could feel tears streaming down her face. Why was she crying? She had other friends, right? Didn't she? She couldn't remember. In desperation, she willed her eyes to open.

She opened her eyes for the first time, finally coming out of the shadow. She held an arm up to shield her eyes from the light, but as her sight gradually adjusted, she slowly let it fall to her side again.

Her eyes were a light crimson color, and they seemed to call out of her soul for something long gone. Her feet were bare, so they felt the ice-cold tiles. She looked around her. Something wasn't right. The ground was further away than she remembered it last. Then she looked at herself. She _was_ taller. But why? And how? She still wasn't sure why she was still here.

She shivered again, violently this time. She was _so_ cold. She looked around her, slowly, for something to keep warm with. Sitting right in front of her, placed neatly side-by-side, were stockings, boots, and a shawl. It was almost like they had been placed there just for her.

She knelt down and reached for the stockings with her right hand, prodding them with two fingers. Seeing that nothing was happening, she grasped them in her hand, and held them, her hand shaking a little. She put them on in silence, one thing she now realized about this place. There was no sound, not even when she put on the slim fitting boots, which she recognized were made of brown leather.

She picked up the shawl as she stood, wrapping it around her tightly. The wool felt nice and warm against her bare arms. She looked around and felt so small, even though she was taller than she remembered herself to be. But why was she still there? She tried to move her feet, but they would not. They were unfamiliar to her, and she did feel _safe_ here. Glancing towards the huge door behind her she whimpered. The outside did not feel safe.

So she stayed, and her thoughts began to wander.

The first thing that came to her were the memories. Recent, horrid memories brought tears to her eyes at the image of father, who she had last seen dying, and a deep, terrible mourning began to creep into her and mix with her anguish over Link's disappearance. She rememberd she'd only known Link for a year or so, but he was the only friend she had, save for one other. She thought she was the only friend HE had. Slowly, more memories returned to her; the last moments before… the darkness.

.oOo.

_She ran out of the house after Samuel, the potion's apprentice. She was wearing a petite white dress made from spiderworm silk that her mother had made for her. Today was her birthday and she wanted to go see Link again. Her eyes danced brightly as she ran after her friend._

"_You're it Sam! Tag me if you can!" She ran as fast as she could away from him, spotting her father. 'Perfect to hide behind.' She tugged at her father's shirttail to get him to notice._

"_Papa?" "Hmm?"_

_He turned around to her, smiling a little. His hair was a mop of flaming red, and his eyes were an intense blood red, just like his daughter._

"_What is it dear heart?" She looked up at him sweetly. "May I go take Sam to see Link? Please? Please!" He couldn't help but say yes to that face. "Oh thank you, thank you!" she crooned. Suddenly, a dark expression crossed his face, and she frowned, afraid. "What is it, Papa?" Her father paused, about to speak, but shook his head._

"_Just… be careful coming home, darling." _

_At once, she brightened, and grinned at him. "Of course, Papa! You know I'm careful! And Link always walks me home. He won't let anything eat me." She giggled and ran off before he could stop her. _

_She dragged Sam out of the village to Link's house in the forest. "Link! Oh Link! Where are you?" She could hear frantic clattering from the attic of Link's house. "Sam, wait here please." She climbed up the ladder and crept slowly into the tree house. "Link?" As soon as her voice penetrated the air, the clatter suddenly stopped. He came down from his attic, a sword on his back and a pouch full of items. "Hello. What are you doing here?"_

_She looked at him quizzically. "It's my birthday. Don't you remember?" He looked at her, dumbfounded and in slight shock. He rummaged through a trunk and took out a small box. He hesitated for a bit, but turned around to face her. He put the box in her hand and said, "I swear, I didn't forget, really. Just, do me a favor and open it later and whatever wish you make will come true." She looked at the velvet box, stroking it and glancing up at him incredulously. _

"_You didn't steal this, did you?" Link's face reddened. "Of course not! I'm a Kokiri, not a thief!" She sighed contentedly and shoved it into a satchel she'd brought from home. "You want to play with me and Sam?" she asked, grinning. Link glanced out at the light and then at his fairy, which shrugged. _

"_Sure, why not?" he said, glancing off into the middle distance. Then he met her eyes and smiled. "Hey, let's go annoy the Deku Nuts outta Mido!" _

_The three of them, the Kokiri, red-haired girl, and quiet potions apprentice, played for hours. When it was time for the sun to set over the trees, Link turned to the two of them and said quietly, " Come on, I'll walk you home. I'll keep you safe from any Stalkids."_

_The girl shuddered. "Please do. I don't fancy being eaten." They laughed as they exited the forest._

_So Link walked the two over to the bridge before the town. He took the girl's hand and said, "I hope to see you soon." His voice had an odd, sorrowful tone to it. She was about to ask why he seemed so sad until… she saw the smoke rising from the town's treetops. _

_She gasped, a high, girlish trill, and ran. Samuel ran after her and Link ran after him. She ran through the burning village until she came to her house, which was engulfed in flames. She found her father until a pile of rubble and half burnt two by fours. "Papa? Father? Father? Come on, you can make it!" He motioned to her with sad eyes that he couldn't. Tears poured down her face as she cried into him. His hands shook as he clumsily placed a golden locket around her neck and shoved something into her satchel. "That's… your mother's… take good care of… it…" Wait… where was her mother? She stumbled backward, breathing in dust and smoke, and she fell to the ground, exhaustion claiming her._

_She awoke to Link standing over her, his face blanketed with worry. "Come with me, it's your only chance of survival. Now!" He grabbed her wrist and ran away from the village, still half coated in flames. She looked back for Samuel, but he was nowhere to be seen. She had no choice but to go with him, as her parents were gone and her other family lived nowhere near Kakariko._

_He stopped at the market gates, waiting for them to open. But as soon as they were down, two figures on a white horse fled past. The smaller of the two chunked a small blue object into the water behind them, as they ran away from the new figure that was approaching. It was a black-clad man with an evil aura around him. He looked at Link. _

"_You, boy! Did you see where that horse went?" Link backed away a bit and took his sword out, protecting her as he shook his head no. "Stupid kids. Need to learn to respect your elders better, child." He kicked his horse and sped off in the direction of the white horse._

_After fishing out the blue thing out of the water, which turned out to be a flute-like instrument, Link took her into the town, which was now deserted, and up the steps to the Temple of Time. He walked slowly up to the altar, placing three small stones on it then he played a short melody with the instrument. A large door opened to reveal a sparkling sword. He ran up to it, picked it up, and then… that's when it all went blank._

_But, whispering through the light was a voice. A woman's voice._

"_I'm sorry…" And then she knew no more._

.oOo.

That's all she remembered. She realized now the necklace that had once been big on her as a child fit perfectly now. Her father had said it had been her mother's. She brought her left hand up to it to touch it, ever so lightly. Her right hand brushed against something. It was satchel, hanging from a faded brown belt on her waist.

There was a shifting behind her. A something snapped.

Suddenly she felt the presence of someone behind her. She whipped around, her eyes wide.

Someone tall and slim stood in the shadows. "Who are you?" the girl whispered.

The figure walked into the light. Whoever the figure was, they were dressed in the traditional Shiekah garb, and had a harp strapped to their back. The person then asked her in return, "Why are _you_ here?"

She tried to reply back, but couldn't find anything to say. She wasn't herself anymore. Her mind had gone completely blank, though it had been filled with thousands of thoughts moments ago.

"I don't know," she mumbled, scrambling for something to say, "the last thing I remember was…" She couldn't say anymore; it was too painful and confusing.

And then there was silence.

Suddenly she heard a light hum and she felt a new presence. She turned around slowly.

Link!

But he wasn't so small anymore either. The Sheikah motioned to her for her to wait. He walked up to him and the talked quietly for a little while.

Then he stood away from the exit and said softly, "There's someone who wants to see you." Link turned around slowly, his face lighting up in recognition. He ran to her, but stopped short about a foot away, breathless. Then he whispered to her as soft as the Sheikah had, "After all that time, I never knew your name. What is it?" She smiled and whispered a single word to him.

"Victoria."


	2. Heart's Desire

Chapter Two: Heart's Desire

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 2

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / Dark Link x OC

Disclaimer: I own a kite and a Link figurine that's missing a shield. That's it.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

**EDIT:** Stuff changed, grammar corrected; I'm hoping this will help me finish up Shadow Watcher so I can finally submit to this story again.

**EDIT 2: **More grammar, some insertions, deletions. Smoothing over stuff. Nothing too plot-changing, really.

* * *

Victoria sat on her bed watching the night sky. It gave her comfort on nights when depression consumed her. The house she lived in now she had built, though not exactly by herself because Link had helped. It hadn't really taken as long as they'd thought, and after two weeks, they were done, complete with furniture and everything.

Yes, her cottage was small, but for a two-story house, it was okay. She lived on the banks of Zora's River, some ways away from the waterfall. The plain green dress she wore was tucked under her neatly as she put her fingers on the cold windowpane. Her eyes, though bright, took on a gloomy mood, as though she were a caged bird waiting to be released.

Link had told her when he left for the Forest Temple to find herself a stable job and to not worry about him. How could she not? She almost sighed, but restrained herself. Sighing did no more good than worrying, but she did it anyway.

_Link… if he only knew what I was going through. _

She snorted at the thought. She wasn't a child anymore, not after what happened. Seven years had passed, but it had barely felt like instants to them both. How, she still didn't know, but she did know that it involved magic, but what kind she wasn't sure. This time when another wave of depression hit her, she did sigh.

_If just knew where he was… oh… I wish… wait! That's it! A wish!_

She got off her bed and walked over to her dresser. _It has to be in here… it has to… _She pulled the top right dresser drawer and found it. The little box was there all right, tucked neatly under her silk lavender nightdress. She slowly took the object out, revealing a box covered in deep ocean blue velvet. She held it in her cupped hands, her eyes mulling over with emotion.

_I wonder if he even knew what is in here?_

She held the box between her index fingers and flipped the lock. Curiosity was welling up inside her now, wonder was starting to infect her brain. Her thumbs moved to the lid. And then they flipped it with one slick movement.

Inside lay a key, made of pure gold and half a foot long, decorated with dazzling emerald, sapphire, and ruby adornments. Link most definitely hadn't known this was in here. Or had he? She put the box down, but still she held the tiny gold key.

She smiled a little, her eyes bright with anticipation. _But what to wish for?_

_I can't wish for my parents… they're… dead… _

She pondered for a while, nearly losing her train of thought as she slowly came to a realization. _But maybe… _She bit her lip, almost deciding against it. But she finally gathered up her courage and then stated her wish out loud.

"This is my wish, it's all I want, if you'd just listen that's all I need. I don't want any blessings, or powers, or strengths." She sighed deeply. "I can't wish for love, because it wouldn't be _mine_, but…" Her ruby eyes flashed, but she passed it off as a trick of the light.

"I don't want courage, or wisdom but maybe… kindness? Or a gentle manner? And yet… I am so very lonely here." Several other stones, most of them green and blue flashed also, but she did have a candle on her dresser…

"I think… I think I need some company. Just someone quiet, a listener. I wish to meet that someone soon. So I… so I won't be alone anymore." She bit her lip. "That is, if my request is within your limits, goddesses."

She sat it down back into its box, and she slowly closed the lid. She didn't dare hope that her wish would come true, but inside her heart prayed for it dearly. She smiled as she carefully put it back, tucking it under the silk, her eyes flickering in the candlelight for just one second, and she closed the drawer, blew out the candle, and went to bed.

What she didn't see after she nodded off was the faint glow it emitted. It slowly dimmed as she slept, but made sure throughout that night, her wish would not go overlooked.

.oOo.

For a day she felt almost happy, she went almost everywhere with a smile. You could tell, just by looking at her, that she was nearly in a trance, humming everywhere she went.

She sat on her bed in a pretty blue dress, her hand twisting the chain that bore her mother's locket. She had met someone at the ranch yesterday, and she couldn't get her thoughts off him. The wish had worked! Hadn't it? But, as she stared at the blue night sky, a tear slowly ran across her face.

He reminded me so much of my father… I still miss him so…

She looked out across the river with sorrow, the happy light crimson almost gone from the pools of blood that were her eyes. The young man she had met, was very handsome. She hadn't hoped for that. She smiled at every thought of him, but would he return her affections? Feeling love is one thing, but receiving love was another.

That day she stumbled upon him by accident, actually… talking with a certain blond friend.

.oOo.

_She walked under the entrance to the ranch, leading her loaned horse inside. The palomino had befriended her, which was unusual for a wild mare. _

_She took it inside the stables, hearing voices outside. She knew them at once to be male, but not ones that she knew. Although one did seem familiar…_

_After she put up her horse, she wandered outside to the corral. Two men were there, Link and a boy… she had not met him before, so she was clearly interested. Her eyes looked him up and down, judging his appearance. _

_He was strong, she could tell, but no more than Link. His eyes were midnight blue, so blue you could drown in them. His tunic was a light sky blue with expertly placed embroidery. His smile was charming; his teeth were clean, he looked the perfect type of young man many girls would go out of the way to swoon for. Then again, there was this strange aura about him…_

_As she drew closer, she could hear some of their conversation._

"_So Peter, are you interested in my proposition?" "I don't know… sounds a bit… dangerous…" "If you don't want to come that's fine. I just want a little help for once." _

_The boy paused a second before speaking up again. "What about your friend? You said she was capable of helping you." Link looked at the boy, shaking his head. "I said she helped heal me whenever I need it, not that she knew how to fight. Even if she did…" He looked down, and up, then down again. Then he muttered something about a Water Temple. _

_The boy's expression when he heard about the temple was a little shocked. But he shook it off as he tried to put his hand up on Link's shoulder. Link considered it a moment, but shook his head and pushed it away. He turned his back to the boy, walking away without a word. The boy put his hand up to ask him to come back, but his voice seemed to have abandoned him. _

_Link mounted his horse and exited the ranch. She could see as he passed, his azure blue eyes were filled with unshed tears that broke free and ran down his face like lightning. Link however, looked back to her as he passed and he whispered, "If you could, would you help?" _

_Stunned that he knew she had heard, she nodded slowly. He smiled and his eyes threw more buckets of tears out onto his face. He turned around and left the corral, collecting his belongings as he went. _

_The other young man looked down at his feet, hurt and unsure. Link wasn't usually like this. This girl he talked about often, Zelda, was the one he was supposed to save. 'If Zelda is his target, why should she be mine?' The boy walked along the path to the entrance to hitch his horse and go home to keep the secret of his watery hideout hidden._

_She saw the boy walking towards her. She panicked and tried to hide behind a dead bush. He spotted a flash of movement and saw something. It was a girl, sitting behind a dead bush. He raised an eyebrow at her, not sure why she was hiding. Finally he called out, "Hey, you!"_

_She froze. There was no way out of it now. _

_Slowly, she came out of her hiding place, her eyes looking down and her hands behind her back. _

"_Hh… hi… hi…"It was all she could stammer. As brave as she was, she was shotgun shy around this handsome stranger. He leaned against the side of the ranch house with one leg up against the wall. "Same to you," he said. His voice was beautiful to her ears._

_She looked up, into his eyes, drowning in his midnight pools. She smiled weakly and he smiled back. Her eyes darted to his sky blue tunic. It looked to be made of silk. He caught her looking at it and said, "My grandfather gave it to me for my seventeenth birthday. By the way, my name's Peter. What's yours?" She perked up at the question, something about it seeming very odd. "Victoria. Pleasure to meet you." She smiled again, ignoring the feeling and gaining some ground. Beginning to get a bit bolder, she spoke up again. _

"_Your eyes are pretty." She recoiled slightly during her afterthought. 'Drat! The was a dumb thing to say! Why in Din's name did I say that?' He laughed a little and closed his eyes. He opened them again to speak. "As are yours Miss Victoria." _

_She blushed a deep scarlet and blinked once or twice. He was almost enraptured by her, she was so beautiful. "What's a pretty woman like yourself doing at this ranch?" He waited for a response but all he got was a half shrug and a stare. He rubbed the spot in between his eyes with two fingers. Slowly, she looked back at him, her eyes sparkling like jewels. She took a slow step towards him and stopped. She looked up at him again. His eyes were still closed, so she decided to step closer._

_When he opened his eyes he didn't see her on the wall of the stable. He looked to his right, and he didn't see her. Then he looked to his left. _

_There she was, with her eyes looking at him like a dog would its master. Her hair flipped up when it came across her shoulders, and her hands were behind her back. She seemed a bit braver now, but he wondered who this girl was. _

"_Do you want to meet me again?" Her eyes lit up at the question. "Yes! I, um, I mean I would like to." She chuckled a little bit before blushing madly again. He reached up to push the hair the concealed her face so he could look into her eyes once more. "Meet me here at noon in two days. The place I want you to see is a secret."_

_He winked at her and he left, calling his horse as he did so, leaving her to wonder why she felt the way she did._

.oOo.

He was so cute the way he blushed when he talked and how polite to her he had been. He called himself Peter. His hair looked a lot like Link's, only most of it was black and it had chocolate brown tips with sunshine yellow bangs. His eyes were different though… so different than hers… so very gentle and kind.

But even with her doubts, she knew deep down, way down deep, that he was made for her, and her for him. She played the memory over and over in her head, awkward as it was. The day seemed magical to her, a dream even. But it _had_ been real, and that's what mattered.

She looked up at the sky, feeling a little better. Tomorrow was the day, the day she would see him again. She snuggled deep down into the covers, blowing out the candle as she did so.

.oOo.

"Huff, huff, huff. No! I won't make it! Oomph!"

She backed away, shaking her head at whatever she had run into. "Curse you for being in my-" "Well, I guess I was mistaken when I thought you were a shy person." "Hmm?" She opened her eyes, looking up to see the source of the voice.

There he was in a dark purple tunic, smiling at her with his perfect teeth. She blushed and mentally scolded herself for running into him.

"There's no need to apologize. It was my fault. Who on earth stands in the entrance of a corral anyway?" She gasped. He was actually saying sorry? "I didn't know if it was possible for men to say sorry." He chuckled at her joke. "I do believe that some of us were educated in manners better than others. Nice joke by the way." "Thank you… um.. sir." "Please," he said shaking his head, "Don't call me sir. Call me Peter." "Okay, _Peter _where is this secret place you're taking me?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" "Because it wouldn't be a surprise! I also want you blindfolded on the way there." This puzzled Victoria. Blindfolded? It must be a pretty special place for him to want that. "Er… all right. I'll do it, I suppose." "Wonderful! Here, put this on." Peter handed her a blindfold and since she agreed to do it, she put it on.

As she did so, she mulled over the conversation they'd just shared. Something about had seemed… off. Almost scripted. But this man didn't seem very dangerous. He wasn't giving off those odd vibes she'd felt the day she'd met him. He seemed almost sad about something, in fact. She wondered what it might be. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if she should have brought along a weapon or something…

He took her hand and slowly walked her to a horse. How she knew this without seeing, she had no idea, it was as if she could see the animal in front of her even with the blindfold.

He helped her get on and then he himself mounted. He kicked at the horse's sides and galloped off into the distance.

At first, it was just the wide terrain of Hyrule Field. Again she didn't know how she knew this, so she mistook the sensation with her knowledge of the field and used that as her explanation. The field became rocky then smooth again, they had passed Gerudo Valley. Then the horse jumped something, a fence most likely. They were entering Lake Hylia. What was so special about Lake Hylia?

Peter felt her tense and then she lifted her arm. Her hand rubbed her chin as if she wondered, "Why here?" He shook his head and he rode on, past the fishing gallery and along the thin strip of land that outlined the lake itself.

They were on the other side of the lake now, and Victoria's senses gave out on her. She had never been here before, so she couldn't rely on the horse's motions to find out where they were. Instead she listened to the water, hearing it move as its waves rocked up and down the shore. She reached out with her consciousness to feel the water's touch, what it felt, where it was, what it was. The water felt as if it were rubbing up against something soft and loosely padded. It carried away pieces of dirt as it retreated back off the shore. Was it sand, perhaps? Suddenly the horse jerked and whinnied, almost throwing her off balance.

"Get back you ugly brute! Hyah! Take that!" Peter jumped off the horse and handed her the reigns. She heard slashing and kicking as she took control of the horse. Peter was in trouble, and there was nothing she could do.

Anger bubbled up inside her, her veins seemed as if in dry ice. Fires seared down her nerves, until a single word passed her lips.

"_Faeuire_."

Her whole body, muscles and bones alike burned for just one second, and then she passed out as screeches of pain rung out, and burning heat engulfed the enemy.

Peter saw the Tektite come at him for he thought the last time. He closed his eyes and heard Victoria utter one word. Then he felt heat, burning, searing heat. He opened his eyes and saw the Tektite's flesh burn away in flames. Then Victoria fell off the horse, unconscious, and landed on the ground.


	3. Connection

Chapter Three: Connection

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 3

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: If all this were mine, I would have made Kingdom Hearts use Hyrule as a world already and made me a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh series. I don't own Zelda, okay? The only things I own are Victoria and Peter.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

**EDIT: **General editing. Been meaning to do this for ages.

* * *

"No!" Peter ran to catch her and managed to just before she hit the ground. "Are you alright?" No answer. "Victoria?" He shook her shoulders. Still no answer. He could see his house a little ways away. He had to get her there.

Gently, he scooped her into his arms – ignoring the pain lancing through them – and heaved her back up onto the horse. He strapped her against it and he climbed up behind her, holding her close as he coaxed the beast to a quick trot. His house was no more than a mile away, luckily enough, so he made good time getting there. He got off and unlatched her unconscious form, carrying her through the door and setting her down quickly.

_A/N: It's a little like the cottage in Sleeping Beauty but it's a one story, slightly cramped, and has no waterwheel. I'm done, read on._

He took a towel off his towel rack in his tiny kitchen and soaked it hot water. He put the towel on her forehead, her eyes twitching as he did so.

Her forehead burned under his hand. Very, _very_ hot. He jerked it back a little from the heat for fear of it burning. It actually simmered a little; for tiny wisps of smoke wafted from his stinging hand.

She tossed a little and turned, her expression indescribable. As for Victoria…

Shadows nipped at her heels as she ran, flames licking at her thighs. She ran this way and that way through the darkness, the shadows ever concealing. The only bit of light you could see other than the bright orange fire that was leaping at her heart like a dog would a bone was a small glint coming from the pendant around her neck. For a single second she thought the darkness would consume her, but then the light grew strong and released the shadows' hold over her consciousness.

In the real world, Victoria stilled from her nightmare, her breathing no longer labored.

She twitched a little and could feel herself awakening. She made an attempt to move but was being held down. She then tried to open her lips, but they were half cracked and felt dirty. Agitated, she tried to open her eyes. "Awake now, are you?"

At first, all she could see was blur. She blinked cautiously, wondering how she got here. She felt weak; drained of energy. But how? Slowly her eyes began to adjust.

She saw Peter on the foot of a bed beside her feet, his hand clutching one of hers. He had a relieved expression, but worry lines were still fresh on his brow. "I am now," she whispered hoarsely, her lips still reluctant to move. She licked them, as they were still very stiff and dry.

He smiled a little and became serious again. "What happened back there?" She remembered feeling hot and in pain for a few seconds, but after she muttered something she blacked out and started to fall. She shook her head saying she remembered none of it.

"I don't know what happened. Something caught fire and I fainted. I think…" She trailed off, thinking about what really happened. What HAD happened?

She remembered the searing pain, like fire going down her spine as a snake would someone's leg, She remembered saying something; a single word…. what word was it… She gasped a little, so he wouldn't hear. She said _faeuire_, the Hylian word for fire.

She wondered, for a fleeting second, if she had done magic. Magic was an uncommon gift blessed to those only in royalty, or obtained through a Great Fairy's blessing. Essentially everyone had the potential, but it wasn't a desired practice. So why did _she_ have the gift? She shook her head, telling herself she would think about this later.

"How long have I been out?" She questioned wearily. Her head hurt terribly, each pulse of her lifeblood aching in her sinuses. "About half and hour, give or take five minutes." He answered, hesitant. "What I want to know," he asked her, "is if you're well enough to accompany me, provided that you don't faint again." He leaned in a little, smiling boyishly.

She looked up at him, her soft red eyes drowning in his midnight pools. They were so close to each other you could almost see static forming tiny electric links between wherever skin touched skin. She blushed a little as she positioned her free hand by her chin innocently, her eyes closing to hide her feelings.

"Of course," she whispered, "Provided you let me go without a blindfold."

"Touche," Peter chuckled. Then, without thinking, he kissed her on her cheek.

She gasped a little when he did it, the traces of saliva still burning from his peck. She opened her eyes again and was about to say something before Peter cut her off.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it and–– " She put a finger to his lips as she swung her legs over the bedside. She winced inwardly, regretting the movement instantly, but pressed herself to continue. "No, it's all right. You don't have to say sorry this time." She smiled and slowly put her hand around the back of his neck and gave him a deep, chaste kiss. "Fair?" She was almost in awe of herself. Why was she kissing him? She barely knew him! It was only a little one, but still! A kiss! Was she really that desperate for company?

She blinked, as mental picture of something… _dirtier_ than the word implied flashed through her mind. Damn hormones. She wasn't ready for this!

Peter blushed a bit, oblivious to her mental astonishment. "Now, what were you saying about going somewhere?" He stood up and held out his hand, his eyes twinkling slightly. He made her feel warm inside whenever they touched, and whenever she looked in his eyes, she was afraid she would drown in them. She really had to get a handle on her emotions. Forcing a smile to her lips, she pushed her thoughts away as she took his hand and stood up beside him.

Peter looked reluctant, and breathless, his dark eyes swimming with conflicting sensations. As promised, though, he left her without the blindfold, and the two of them walked together along the shore towards a small, uncomely looking cave.

It wasn't terribly far from Peter's cottage, but its small appearance from a distance made it look not worth exploring.

"I found it sometime after I built my cottage," he told her, his voice almost sad. "It brings me peace whenever I come here, if I can't go into the desert." She tilted her head, curious. "The desert? You've been there? But aren't the Gerudos, well… not hospitable to men?"

He hesitated and, frowning, bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, I… I'm very careful. It's one of the few places I can really think, you know?" He smiled, at her, showing his clean teeth. "Shall we?" He motioned to her with one hand and holding out another, silently asking her if she wanted in.

She gratefully took the offer and she linked arms with him unconsciously. Even though she'd asked not to have the blindfold, she closed her eyes anyway in anticipation. They walked along a small, dark path, going under the occasional hole, each shining a piercing ray of sunlight that warmed her to her very toes. Slowly, they made their way through a long stretch of tunnel until the silent sound of running water hit her ears.

She opened her eyes to see the roaring bottom of a waterfall, but instead of being in front of it, they were in the back of it. Surrounding the opening were many plants of various sizes and varieties that could cure almost any ailment for wounds and poisons.

"Oh, Peter… this is… this is amazing." She looked around in awe at the lighting of the tiny glen; Peter must have done them himself, because he was smiling at her bashfully. "I thought you'd say that," Peter said.

"Where are we?" She asked. Peter chuckled. "We're still at Lake Hylia. We're just… behind the waterfall that leads into the lake is all." He grinned and she smiled back at him.

She looked at the candles wistfully, getting that feeling again. "Did you… put these up yourself?" He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I did. What do you think? The guy I bought them from said they were enchanted, but I…" He drifted off.

"They are," she said suddenly. She slowly broke away from him as she put her palm up against the dirt wall. But this time it was different; it was as if the fire wanted to _play_ with her.

Peter stared at her, raising an eyebrow again. "What?" Victoria cleared her throat and she looked back at him over her shoulder, directly in his eyes. "I said they are enchanted," she repeated. But it wasn't that he hadn't heard, but the look she had given the candles.

He shook it off and he smiled to cover up his suspicion. "Oh, sorry," she said, blushing, "It's just that the candles were so beautiful… I wanted to see the craftsmanship of them." She shrugged. "I have a thing for candles."

Peter looked at her again, her arm gracefully reaching up to touch the candle.

When she couldn't quite reach the candle, he walked over to her and her placed his hands on her waist. "Here," he said, "let me help you see."

She gasped a little at the contact, and he lifted her up a bit, just enough for her to reach the flames. Out of his sight, she slipped her fingers into the small blaze, muttering to it through her mind that she'd be careful.

Keeping her voice calm and soothing, she tentatively let her whole palm be immersed in the fire. The feeling that she got from it was so unnatural; it was almost shocking. Instead of burning, blazing heat, the flames channeled through her like an electric current. They were cool, not hot, friendly, not threatening. The energy was pulsing through her so quickly, she had to look into the blaze to feel its thoughts.

But Peter was lowering her down, so she coaxed the fire to let her go; that she would see it another time. A single flame licked sadly at the last slender finger to leave the blaze.

"Looked at it long enough, have you?' He wrapped his arms around her waist and then rested his head on her shoulder, his breath tickling the tiny hairs. Victoria giggled. "Stop that. It tickles." He raised a playful eyebrow.

"A weak spot… no?" "She turned around in his arms. "You're such a tease, Peter." He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Is that not why you're here? To have a good time, be teased, tickled…" He went off for a little as he mentally thought about kissing her, but he scolded himself. His eyes flickered as mental silence filled his brain. He couldn't let her know what he was, more so, _who_ he was. She might not like him.

"Weren't we here to just enjoy the beauty of his wonderful night? I mean, we can't just waste it on frivolous flirting." She had realized by now that he _was_ reciprocating her affections, but he was being very… reserved about it. Peter blinked, and wondered briefly if his flirting had been that obvious. Then he smiled, not showing his internal twinge of shock.

"Of course not. You know," he said, taking her small hand into his own rough ones, "There are better ways to watch the sunset." She blinked, and frowned softly. "Sunset? It's that late already?" Peter smiled. This was his chance.

"I'll take you home tomorrow if you'd like. You know how dangerous it's been since Gannondorf took over the castle." He grasped her hand firmly and then showed her an indented wall. "You may think that it's just a wall…" He said in a amusing way as he pulled a nearby, unlit candle, "But it's actually… stairs."

The "wall" slid open to reveal some twenty stone steps before the shadows swallowed them. He made the same motion as he had done before they had gone in. "Shall we, fair lady?" She almost laughed at how well he flattered her. She couldn't help but like him now. So much for controlling her emotions. Still, she wasn't ready for this. Her body might be seventeen, but she certainly wasn't, even though she made sure she knew what she needed to know about certain… things via the Kakariko library.

She'd practically had to lock Link inside to explain to _him_ what the age changes meant physically as well as emotionally.

But she smiled and giggled lightly, hiding the longing glint in her eyes. If she could she'd have him in her arms right now, but she seemed to realize that just being in his presence was enough for her.

He took a torch from its holder as she followed him gracefully up the steps. Her dress flew behind her like a bewitched nightgown made to fly perfectly with one's movements. The locket around her neck settled on her breast as it reflected the torch's light around the stairway.

"Say, Peter? Did you make this?" Peter glanced behind him in her general direction, since the stairway was not wide enough for them to walk side by side. "No, actually. I did rig the illusion spell, and the candle switch, but other than that… this is exactly how I found it. Honest. It does make me wonder, though. The place up ahead, well, it's definitely not natural."

"Maybe it was made by someone before Ganondorf took over…"

"Maybe," Peter hummed in agreement.

He stopped at the exit, setting the torch he had been holding in a cone on the wall, and marveled at her beauty. His eyes were forlorn and darkened, and only by looking into her own eyes did the spell upon his eyes falter or sometimes break. He scolded himself again. What a hopeless romantic idiot he was. They could never be together.

Something pricked at his attention; a biting on one of his fingers. It was a shadow sprite, which he flicked off his hand as it tried to make him dance with it. He mentally told it he couldn't, and the little fairy flittered off into the red sunset; which seemed to promise peace that night. As his hand twitched, a ring slipped off his finger and landed at Victoria's feet.

She bent down to pick it up when he did, causing then to collide and their lips meet.

"Oh!" She gasped, "I- are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Peter shook his head. "No, but-" He stopped himself. He cursed quietly, mentally declaring himself a dim-witted imbecile. She was too innocent for someone like him to love her.

Victoria could sense his suffering as he picked up his ring. How she wanted to help, to lift all his troubles away. But she really did have to keep herself under control. Then he stood up and held out his left hand to her, showing her something she hadn't seen before. A faint black triangle, faded and worn, that seemed to hide under his palm's skin. Why hadn't she seen it before?

She frowned, but brushed the thought away as she took Peter's hand and they walked out to the middle of the balcony. "It is beautiful isn't it?" Peter asked her softly. She looked out across the lake. "Yes, very beautiful. I've never seen Lake Hylia from this far up before. It's… the most amazing thing I've even seen."

She broke away from him, her fingers lingering on his own. She sat down on a stone bench beside the railing, facing the sunset with her fingers on the bench.

She sighed, knowing that she didn't know him enough for him to give him even a mild secret like who he truly was. She had a feeling deep down that this was just a disguise, a disguise that had been falling apart ever since he'd met her. A disguise that was just a mask to the true Peter, beyond his outer shell, then something under that which masked the soft underside, his vulnerable side, the kind, caring side which only showed at brief moments.

It was at the very second when she looked up that this side came through. "Sorry, about the kiss, if you want to call it that." He weakly smiled, his voice half shaking and his eyes shifting nervously.

He sat down then, and after she hadn't replied, looked away. He looked like a small child lying to his parents that was afraid it would be beaten. She was frustrated. Why was he resisting? He obviously liked her. Maybe, just… one more kiss wouldn't hurt?

"Hey. Look at me."

She put one hand on his left leg, gently putting pressure on it. "You don't need to be afraid to like me, you know." Peter frowned. "I… Victoria, we really shouldn't get too close." She sighed. "And why not? I'm willing to just be your friend, Peter. I won't… kiss you anymore." He raised an eyebrow at the way she said 'kiss' like it was foreign to her.

He cursed himself again for feeling this way. He just couldn't do this!

"It's… it's not that, I…" He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead absently. "Peter, look. When you meet someone you know deep down is just like you, you don't just say 'it's nice to meet you, I'll see you around' and forget it." At this point, he snapped at her.

"I just don't want to see you hurt, Victoria! You don't know how dangerous it is to be me! So just back off!"

She winced, and shied away from him, wondering how she could have missed this sleeping animalistic side of him. Was she wrong to not have brought a weapon? Well, there was always magic, if she could call it again. Tears prickled in her eyes as her body reacted to his sharp command, and the pain of her throbbing head spiked once more.

Peter instantly regretted his stupid words. He'd meant what he said, but he hadn't meant to… oh, why did he always have to mess everything up?

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Victoria, I…" He slowly reached out to her and he winced as she did, again. "Please, I didn't mean to snap at you, really. I'm sorry." He said the words over and over and he gently wiped most of her tears away. Once she was calm again, he said quietly, "I did mean it, though. What I said. I don't want to see you hurt."

She looked up at him and shivered at the intensity with which his eyes blazed. "I can take care of myself," she muttered stubbornly. "I bet you can," he said through a sigh, "it's just not… safe for me right now."

He didn't notice that she'd moved a little closer to him when she spoke.

"But isn't this place supposed to make you feel safe? You told me it did. Just… let me in, Peter. Talk to me."

His eyes narrowed wearily. "I wish I could. I really, really do."

She pitied him then. She pitied him terribly. He was so sad and hurting, it throbbed and pulsed through her just as much as her blood did. He was so close; she could kiss him again if she really wanted it. Did she want it? Her body was screaming 'yes, yes, yes!' but she really had to stop and think about this. If she did this, it meant leaving any possibility of regaining her lost time behind her.

Leaving her innocence behind. Not the innocence left behind as a result of marriage, but the less substantial kind. She was going to have to grow up quicker than life had originally intended and commit herself to this new, intense existence. She thought of Link, and briefly thought of how much they looked alike, he and Peter. But she also thought of his lost time.

Would he be so willing as to leave those seven years? To continue, to not live them at all? She thought of his logical, tenderhearted mind, and knew that at least to a certain degree, he would. He'd had to shed blood with that sword, to drench himself in it, and wipe it away later.

No child should live with those memories.

And as a child again, she would long for the man that sat so very near to her, practically pressed against her. As a child, she would not be able to have his company, and she would be alone. Again. She smiled slightly, realizing she'd made her decision. In these few short moments, so much had crossed her mind. She knew what she needed. Wanted. So she tilted her head, closed her eyes, and leaned forward. Peter realized what she was about to do, but he was so tired, so desperate to love this lovely, gentle girl, he finally gave into the moment.

Peter closed his eyes. He leaned down while gently pulling her face up to his own, a hand pressing against the back of her neck. Victoria could feel fire searing down her spine again, but this time it was the good kind. The kind she felt when she touched the candle.

Peter felt like the shadows within him were waiting for a chance to mix with a strong oncoming element, one with untapped power. Under his own hands, which were at both her waist and neck, fire seemed to leap at them, hungrily biting at the door to his darkness.

Then their lips met in a passionate interlock as both fire and shadow leapt fiercely and crashed inside and then recognized the other. The world widened greatly, narrowed sharply, and exploded in an instant. Both elements danced, slowly at first, and then with a quickness that could hardly be matched.

Their tongues danced to their beat, never skipping or missing a single one. They were for a second, one person, one body, one connected element. Sweat beaded on their temples when they finally broke apart for air. Victoria realized then that the man before her was not Peter, but someone, perhaps even something else entirely.

For a long time they sat there, staring into the other's eyes. It was Victoria who broke the silence.

"Shadow… is that your true name?" He hugged her even tighter, pressing her hair to his face. Perhaps this girl to give him what he needed; the safety he no longer left when he was alone.

"Yes," he murmured, "it is. Peter was just something my father called me in front of his servants." He paused. He was already going against SO many of his instincts on this one. "May I ask you something?" She nodded, the flames inside of her anticipating the critical question she was hoping for. "Yes. Of course."

He sucked in a quiet breath of air. "Will you st- stay with me tonight? I r- really like you and I want to get to know more about you."

She smiled. She kissed him on his cheek once and she leaned his ear to her mouth and she whispered, "Yes, silly, but this isn't like… I'm pretty sure it's… love." The breath of air slowly seeped into him, making him realize that that they, like their elements, had connected.


	4. Power Within

Chapter Four: Power Within

* * *

Title: Divine Impurity

Chapter: 4

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: If all this were mine, I would have made Kingdom Hearts use Hyrule as a world already and made me a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh series. I don't own Zelda, okay?

Description: Her past is full of sorrow, and her future doesn't seem to be worth living. Her life is so tangled with half-truths and lies that the only person she has also has a past like hers. Will she uncover her past before evil destroys what's left of her purity?

**Author's Notes-**

The long awaited Chapter Four is here! W00T!

Yami Vikki: It took you forever to finish Shadow Watcher, kiko.

Vikki: Hush, you.

Chika: Meow, meow. Mrrrow mrow meow. (Yeah, hush. She worked very hard.)

Yami Vikki: That's what I was going to say! (pouts)

Vikki: Anyway, ignore the different conversation text between Link and Victoria from Shadow Watcher's chapter eleven. Just enjoy the chapter, okay? (presses 'Submit Chapter' button)

**EDIT:** Fixed the conversation between Victoria and Link. Most of it is copied and pasted from whatever story, but they're from different points of view. It's not like I'm reposting Shadow Watcher here, you know? But they're speaking the same conversation in both stories now.

* * *

Shadow and Victoria sat side by side that night, talking and watching the stars. They had shared a few kisses, and a few small laughs, but there was still a rift between them. Victoria wished privately that she could pull it away so that he didn't have to be so careful around her.

Still, she was completely enraptured by the mystery surrounding him, like he was with her. It drew her in so deeply, she had to remind herself that she was still a child in a woman's body, even though she'd pretty much committed herself to this lifetime.

Neither of them could get enough of each other, Shadow especially. She felt that Shadow always had this guard, a guard he'd let down for a kiss, and put it back up to let go, his heart regretted it deeply. A sadness, dim and consuming, plagued him, and at the same time knew… something. Something else. She worried for him. He seemed genuinely carefree, but there was something dark beneath the strong exterior.

Something that told her there was something wrong.

And she hadn't worried about it then.

She didn't see any immediate reason to care.

But now, as she was waking up, that reason was truly apparent. She woke in Shadow's bed, inside his little shack, but there was, strangely, no Shadow. Her head was no longer pulsing with pain like it had been yesterday, but the world around her seemed pressing and horribly fuzzy. It was hard to breathe, too, like she wasn't getting enough air in her lungs. She wiped her eyes of any remaining sleep and got up, searching for anything. A note, possibly.

She found it plastered to the right side of the doorframe with a knife.

_Victoria,_

_I've gone out, obviously. But, I don't know if I'll come back. I have some business to take care of, but… if… if I don't… If I don't come back… look for Link. Please… look for him. And please, keep the knife. The cover's by the lamp._

_Shadow_

So that's where he went… but there was an unexplainable feeling, like ice water running down the back of her neck, that something was very, very wrong. Wherever he was, she had to find him.

But first, she had to find Link.

She took the knife, and its sheath was where he'd promised it would be, and the elegantly written note. She was somewhat surprised, but Shadow had a small collection of books here, so perhaps he practiced writing, also.

The horse was still there, so she climbed on its back with a small pack of provisions, and the knife at her belt and she kicked its side gently to get the stallion moving. She rode it swiftly to Lon Lon Ranch, and returned it, Malon the ranch girl giving her a strange look, but taking it back, told her to be careful in the fields on foot.

"It's okay Malon. I'll be all right." She smiled at the girl, who nodded. "Yeah, sure. You're a strong girl. Fast, too. Even with just a knife, you'll be fine."

And she started out for… where now?

She seemed confused, almost befuddled, but through her strange haze, she managed to pinpoint exactly where she felt Link's aura pulsing. Shaking her head, she started for Zora's River, on foot.

It was almost noon when he found him, still asleep, and she almost laughed. But she shook him awake as gently as possible, panic starting to set in.

"Huh? What?" "Link? Wake up, Link!"

Link rolled over. "Stop Navi… go away. I'm still sleepin'."

Victoria huffed. "Wake up, _dari_(1)!"

At this he turned and twisted, almost falling off the rock they were on. He managed to wake himself up fast enough to not need Victoria's help, but she was still concerned.

"Why'd you do that?" He looked up at her after he'd pulled himself up, on his knees, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wouldn't wake up. So I woke you up." He sighed, chuckling. "By cursing at me?" "Yeah, pretty much." "Thanks."

"No problem."

Link sighed again.

"I need your help Link. Shadow's gone missing! He told me to find you if he didn't come back this morning."

"Wait, what?"

She blinked. She realized that maybe Link only knew of Shadow as Peter, and that might pose a problem. She licked her lips and took in a breath, a strange fever causing her to break into a sweat. She had to explain quickly. She really liked Shadow a lot, even loved him, her heart told her. She knew that Link would trust Shadow with her safety as Shadow so clearly trusted her with his.

"Link, let me explain," she said sternly.

Link looked up at her, most of the sleep gone from his eyes. "Shadow? As in… the man who referred to himself as Peter?" When she nodded, he rubbed his right hand against his chin. "So that really is his name…"

Link, still puzzled, and trying to piece together the puzzle that was Victoria and Shadow, nodded. She knew he would try to listen as best he could, so she decided to try explaining it to him slowly and gently, with only the needed details. She chuckled a little inside. Why should she bore him anyway with all the mushy stuff?

"I met him the day you were with him at the ranch. It was almost dusk, and you were arguing. You left, and when you left, you looked at me as you passed by and spoke to me."

That sparked something in him.

"I asked you if you would help me. You said yes, but I never could figure out why. Actually, for the longest time, I debated with myself if you had said yes at all." It was the truth, and it disturbed her a little. He wasn't distant; in fact he seemed intently listening now. She brushed it off and continued.

"When you left, Shadow, the one you were arguing with, took his horse and headed to the entrance. He… spotted me, though. And, he talked to me." She shook herself. She would try not to do that…

"I felt so comfortable in his presence; almost disturbingly so." She laughed, a thought striking her, the fever making her giddy. "The really crazy thing is that I'd wished on that key you gave me—" she gestured to the small golden key around her neck now, "—for love. Without you, I was very lonely."

She sighed. She truly had been very lonely.

"Perhaps you were right about it, granting a wish for me. You know, the day you gave it to me." He nodded. "Perhaps. Anything really is possible in this place." He looked around, his eyes trailing on the ledges.

"I longed for company, and for him. His company, almost. And when he asked me if wanted to see him again, I was all but elated, though it sort of showed…very much so, actually. I was so terribly embarrassed and shocked that I could be so forward."

"Naturally," Link nodded, still very quiet.

She still paid no attention to his silence and studying expression.

"He met me yesterday at Lon Lon Ranch…" she trailed off, a finger at her lip. "Was it really that long ago?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Anyway," she said, shaking herself again, "he asked if he could blindfold me; told me it was a very special place that he wanted to keep secret. I agreed, seeing his point at the time, though it seems rather silly now. And I could somehow sense where we were going; it was so very _odd_," she emphasized.

"I would expect so," said Link, now a little more interested, "What did you feel?" She frowned a little. "It wasn't much what I felt, though the horse did jump two fences at one point; a sign we were headed to Lake Hylia. But I could smell the grassy terrain of the fields, and hear the difference of the horse's hooves on the rocky ground of the Gerudos' entrance ground to the grass. Link, I could tell what the _water_ was thinking. It kind of scared me a little, even though it felt as natural as breathing. It was very… surreal."

Link nodded, in his observing mode again.

"I don't know why that feeling is still here… it's like it's pulling me, like I need to be somewhere other than here. But, while we were riding, we…" she frowned, grimacing at the memory, "we were attacked."

Link looked up sharply, but she didn't notice.

"He tried to defend me, but he didn't have a weapon on him. He was hurt, close to dying… and all of a sudden I felt power flowing through me and there wasn't any danger anymore. Actually, there wasn't much else of anything, since I'd fainted afterwards." She frowned, struggling to find words that explained how she felt. Should she tell him what she thought it was? What she was feeling now?

"Oh, Link… it was strange. I blacked out somehow, perhaps the power was too much for me to take, and I woke up in Shadow's shack. He looked so worried…" Link hadn't moved, and was staring at her silently, one eyebrow raised, listening. "He kissed me, on impulse I think. It seemed a natural thing to do, as my rescuer and all, but he felt it was wrong and he apologized." Link almost smiled.

Just like Shadow to apologize for just a little peck on the cheek.

"I was a little angry that he _had_ apologized," she continued, "and I kissed him back." She blushed darkly. "I had meant it, very much so. But it lingered for too long; a sign that… I wanted more than to thank him." She shook her head. "I really shouldn't have done it, but I just _wanted_ to. Or at least my body did. Shadow seemed a little shaken after I'd done that, but he still offered to take me to his secret place."

"And I guess the tension kept building and you both felt feelings for one another?" Victoria gasped a little, startled by Link's sudden speech. "Yes," she said, fumbling for words, "that was it. We got to know each other, somewhat, but he was too rigid; he kept choosing his words too carefully. Too much of his words felt off, somehow."

"And he said nothing about his family?"

She arched an eyebrow. "He never talked to me about his family when we sat and talked," Link muttered, almost to himself. Jealous.

"He did, but it was very generic. All of it true, but nothing specific." She sighed. "I'm afraid he's in danger." She looked at him hazily. "But… something's holding you back?"

Victoria looked up. There was no nod, just blatant hesitation.

"Ah… yeah, kind of." She frowned, an uneasy feeling bubbling up from inside. "I did some sort of magic, and it's like it awakened something inside myself. I don't know what it is, but… it's like it wants me to go somewhere."

She grabbed his shoulders, looking pleadingly into his eyes again. "Please, come with me, help me find Shadow."

Link blinked, startled, but decided to relax and flash a tender smile. "Of course I'll help you." She smiled back, relieved.

The two traversed the many limbs and ledges above Zora's River, past Victoria's cottage, and into Hyrule Field. Victoria searched for the direction of the magical pull she was feeling, and hoped it led her to where she needed to be, and not someplace where it could mean the end of them both.

At the footsteps of Kakariko Village, Link asked her, "Why here? Is this where this… pull is taking you?" She nodded, and ran into the village.

She looked back at him as he ran after her, looking half as dazed as she felt, and she turned and bumped into someone. She shrank back, recoiling. "I'm sorry," she muttered apologetically. Then she looked up into the dark red eyes of a tall, silver haired woman.

"My child," the woman said softly, gently, "you have found your way home at last." Victoria, through her haze, wondered why the woman would say that. She had been working at the bar here for the longest time… and how on Din's good earth did she know this was her original home? Then the thought occurred to her.

"I…I know you." She studied the woman a moment longer until the name came to her. "Are you perhaps Lady Impa?" Lady Impa had been the princess's guardian and teacher, but she had also owned this village for a time.

Impa nodded. "And I believe you have come back for what is yours."

She was puzzled. Hers? She had lived here seven years ago, but what could still be here that was hers? "Mine?" she asked, echoing her thoughts.

"Yes. Follow me, and I'll give it to you."

They stopped at the house that had been Impa's when she still lived here, and then she invited them inside. Neither of them sat as she dug through a small drawer and gave a short burst of laughter in some sort of victory.

She turned to them, holding out a key.

"This is the copy of the key to your father's home. The original disappeared when your father did, so it might still exist, and it might not." She looked down at Victoria, who was studying the key as she held it in her palm. "I believe you still know which home was yours, and I assure you it is locked, with not a single thing out of place."

Victoria looked up, but did not speak. She still seemed to be in the trance somewhat.

"Go on," said Impa gently.

Victoria's hand curled up on the key and she nodded softly, turning around gracefully and walking out the door. Link scampered after her, confused.

Every time Link tried to speak, his voice cut short. He sighed the first time, shook his head the next, and eventually resided himself to just watching her. All of this must be quite a shock to her, knowing Impa could have done this at anytime, seeing as Victoria worked here and all. He vaguely wondered if she was angry with Impa because of that fact.

Was she even aware of it?

They eventually came across the house closest to Death Mountain's gate. Victoria walked up to the house, he assumed to go in and check things out and see if everything was as Impa said. Link looked toward the gate, at the spot where the royal guard that used to call him _Mr. Hero_ stood.

It was then that he realized the lock in the door hadn't turned.

Victoria was at the door, the key in the lock, but not turned. "Are you going to go in?" he asked her. For a long while there was silence. Then she spoke, and very softly.

"I don't know. I…this…this place…it…I haven't been here in…in…so long, it feels. But I suppose it really has been that long hasn't it? It didn't used to feel that way… I wonder if I'm truly growing up." At last she reached for the key, turned it, turned the knob, and pushed the door open, walking inside. He couldn't place the emotion in her voice, and it confused him even more. Even though he was completely beside himself, he followed.

Victoria began to explore the rest of the house while Link waited in the main room. She found her own room first, tenderly touching things here and there. Surely _something_ must have been damaged in the fire… unless this place was charmed she couldn't see why it would be like this.

Why it would feel like she'd been in here yesterday.

She found her sister's room, sighing at the memory of her sister's traumatic death, pushing it away, unable to shed tears. She'd long stopped crying over it; they were both gone, long gone. Sapphire and her little brother, Nathan.

She passed her parents' room, only standing inside the doorway, turning away when the memory of her father's body buried beneath a pile of two by fours surfaced, combined with her mother's tight-lipped but gentle smile, her comforting embrace, her father's rich, hearty laugh.

She went everywhere, except her mother's study, not even daring to touch the handle.

When she returned to the main room, she stood in front of the family portrait, tenderly touching the face of each figure. "Me…" she whispered, her fingers trailing over the small redhead that clung to the man's waist. "Nathan… Father… Sapphire…" They trailed over the strong, redheaded man, her father, and the little girl with striking blue hair and eyes. Then there was her brother, a small child with black hair, and soft red orbs, innocent and curious-looking.

Her fingers stopped at the tallest woman in the picture; she had dark black hair, long and wavy like her own, with ice blue eyes and pale fair skin.

"Mother."

Her fever broke, and clarity flooded through her. In an instant, she fled, leaving Link and her home behind, throwing back a command to him that was barely discernable.

Kakariko's roads and building were all a blur to her, just as she was a blur to those she passed. She tore through the main part of town and then she ran past the windmill and into the graveyard. Here she stopped, afraid, almost. But she had to keep going, she must! Must!

As she searched for something, anything where the source of the pull could be, she could feel its magic beating within her like a second heart, the energy flowing through her making her so dizzy she could barely walk.

Stopping, she closed her eyes, searching for the source with her own magic. The rippled waves that were its source came straight at her, attacking her consciousness, but she fought the storm, moving one foot in front of the other, guiding herself though the forest of stone. She stopped a second time at the very back of the graveyard, her cold red eyes staring down into the blackness of the hole where the emblem of the royal family once stood.

She was at this moment, without feeling, thus, without fear, so she dropped down, her fingers scrambling for a hold against the dirt, her throat only issuing a grunt when her feet slammed onto hard stone.

She walked down the dark hallway, lighting a small magical flame within the palm of her head, her slender fingers cradling it gently. She arrived at a chamber full of ReDeads, but somehow, they did not attack. They parted from her, the same amount on each side, almost bowing to her.

She didn't notice.

Victoria finally reached the stone wall that carried the notes of the Sun's Song, but she knew this wasn't her stop. There was another path here; hidden. And only she could find it.

Dousing the small flame in her palm she looked up at the very top of the design, above the text, in between the two royal insignia.

There, at arm's length, rested an hourglass. She reached up, and pressed it.

And then the stone wall split in two, opening up and creating a new entrance. Summoning another flame, she entered.

The doors closed behind her after she walked three steps. "Go figure," she muttered, "that this magic would lead me to a place that might possibly be my death. But I don't think that's the case."

_Careful_, a voice in her head said, _you shouldn't talk to yourself. It's considered bad, you know_. Victoria growled at her inner conscience. "Shut up…" The conscience laughed and didn't speak again. Maybe it was right, maybe it wasn't, but she didn't care at the moment.

She came to a room, a small, circular room with six stone pillars standing in a circle. Various books, weapons, and other things lined the room's outside, but nothing was more captivating than the figure that stood on the raised stone circle in the middle of the room. Victoria's eyes widened, and the flame in her had vanished at once, but the light that shone through a circle in the ceiling (exactly how far underground was this?) kept the room bright.

"Hello," the figure said softly, "I've been waiting for you."

Victoria watched as her breath formed a small cloud in the air, and then disappear into nothing. It wasn't even cold here, but in truth… was it? She could just be feeling as though she was warm, but in reality her body was cold, and reacting to the cold. Was that even the only explanation?

"Waiting?" She gasped, finding her voice at last, frozen and melting, trying to figure everything out. "Were you trapped here? Trapped by magic?" Like she had been?

A sigh, soft and feminine.

"No."

Ruby eyes bored deep into aqua blues for answers. "Then… why? Why did I hear your voice? What were you sorry for?"

"What are you asking me?"

"You know what I'm asking!" she snapped. "I was a child only months ago and now…"

She sighed. "…now I'm not."

The eyes, framed by curled, black hair, soften. Sorrow, they screamed. The figure sighed again. "I did not mean for you to be this way. It wasn't your fault. I did it to save you."

"Save me? From what?"

"Me."

Victoria stared in disbelief.

"Why you? What happened?" She fiddled with the collar of her dress in her distress. "I need to know, Mother."

The blue eyes that were filled with sorrow before sharply moved back to her ruby pools. "Are you sure you want to know everything?"

"Yes."

There was silence, and then a long, slow sigh.

"I'll start with my history." She paused. "Our history." It sounded like a correction.

Then she chuckled. "You might want to sit down. This will take awhile."

.oOo.

_My birth name was Sylvia Diana Victoria Thymmalis. My mother was an elvish queen, and I was her princess. _

_I was her princess in more than one way. _

_My mother was part of a long line of magical people that had existed since the Beginning. Those people governed the realm of time, and they were called Time Keepers. Only one Keeper could live in a set of dimensions at one time, and it got complicated when the matter of passing on the power of the Keepers to another. _

_The elders always preferred that an heir of the current Keeper, called the Time Princess, would carry on the legacy. But how to choose a new Keeper? _

_The rules were simple. _

_The very first Keeper, who had been given a child by the Creator of the Beginning, had laid them down. She decreed that the first female child of the Princess would inherit the abilities from the age of adulthood onward, slowly given to the child throughout the remainder of the Princess's life. _

_The life of the Princess would end when the last power was transferred. _

_But with elves, this was a problem. _

_My mother's solution was a complex one, and even today I don't understand it. Her solution was that after I had reached the physical appearance of an elvish adult, she would end her life, and transfer her powers to me all at once. _

_It is a good thing elves aren't considered adults until they are almost a quarter millennia old. _

_She knew I would have plenty of time to practice magic and to ready myself for such a momentous transfer. She knew it was the only way to give me a chance to perhaps find a way to break free of the elvish chain._

_I was the reason she'd willed her first child to be a son. And like the first decree, only females were allowed to be Keepers. Only a female could be a Princess. No one is sure why only females are allowed to take the mantle. Perhaps it's because Princess sounds better than Prince, but I believe otherwise. _

_The wills of the different genders, male and female, vary, and at the same time, are eerily similar. _

_The one thing that would make a male Keeper, a Prince, is that the line would end there, and so would the dimensions he would govern. The reason is this; for a Keeper to pass on powers, their heirs must come __from__ them, not by them. In other words, they have to conceive, carry, and give birth to their heir._

_The alternative is painful, and risky; choosing and adult from anywhere in any dimension of their planet that would carry on the legacy. _

_It has happened before, and may well happen again, but my mother wanted me to have a chance at avoiding this. And so she set her plan in motion from the day I was able to learn and practice magic._

_She told me everything I needed to know as I grew, what I was, how I was important, and that I would someday take her place in the world. _

_Sometime after my brother had married, and had children, my mother began to court me with a young and very dashing king. He knew what I was, and he knew his country despised my kind, or rather, held prejudice, but he didn't care. I was almost in love with him, but not quite. My whole heart was not in our courtship, and I knew it._

_Soon, he asked me to marry him, and for the sake of my mother, I agreed. _

_A week before I left to get ready for my marriage to this king, she told me it was time for the transfer, the one she'd been readying me for my whole life. My father knew what was happening, and so did my brother and his wife's family, but his people didn't know. The world should never know._

_I spent three whole days writhing in pain, all of my mother's magic assimilating inside me, twisting, burning, and at the same time, replacing, and healing. It was like vampire venom of the worst kind, but I was still me. _

_When the pain of the magic was gone, the pain of knowing my mother was no longer in the land of the living hit me. I grieved a day, with the rest of the people of the kingdom who had been told she died of an illness, but it had been swift. I could not grieve any longer. I apparently had a king to marry,_

_The day before I left I gave a speech to the people; that my father was not shuffling me away because I was just a discarded princess no one cared about, and that I was going because I loved him, and part of me did._

_I put everything else aside when I left, everything except the legacy I was now truly a part of. My mother was still with me, in spirit, because she was now Time Queen, head Keeper, but she lived in the Time Kingdom, where I would one day go._

_I did not expect it would be so soon._

_I lived with the young king, King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, for three years, in a time of war, and violence. I always felt desperation when he went away, because even through all our time together, I'd yet to conceive a child. _

_Any child, much less female._

_It wasn't until the end of the Great Wars did I conceive, but I knew at once this was not the child that would carry on my legacy of the Keepers. _

_And I knew it would be female. _

_So why was I different? Why would my first female child be rejected of my powers? I knew only too late. Near the end of my pregnancy, I looked back on my feelings as a royal. I did not like being royalty, and yet it was my right by birth. I looked into myself and found that because I did not wholly love Daphnes, I could not wholly love the child either. _

_I would have to fake my death and leave the child with him where it could be loved wholly, even if by only one parent._

_I told him and my child's nurse my secret, and told them what I planned to do. The nurse, being of the ancient people that were given to Hyrule as a gift from their ally, Egypt, could accept it, but Daphnes was crestfallen. He truly had loved me. _

_I told him to think of my faked death as my true death, because a part of me would die. By leaving my child, I would always be partly torn. _

_I followed through with my plan a week after my child's birth. I had given the little girl the name Zelda, and left her gift, so that I would always be with her in spirit. I left her a lullaby, and I told the nurse to name it after Zelda._

_A few nights after I left the castle, Gerudos had raided a noble's town. I knew who it was and what they were planning. I waited for them in their temple, and their leader brought me a child he wanted me to curse. It wasn't the child he was looking for, but I didn't tell him that. Hyrule was my country now and always would be, so I couldn't betray it. _

_I cursed the child carefully. This curse, I knew, would eventually be the man's downfall. I could only hope he didn't figure out what the curse was._

_I fled to Kakariko, and that is where a different story began…_

_I met the nurse there, and with him, __her__ king. The Sheikah's king. Your father. _

_He was about my age, if I hadn't been an elf, around twenty. He captivated me in a way that Daphnes never did. I had found my heart at last. We married within three months of our meeting, and I conceived shortly after our marriage._

_Before I gave birth, I knew there would be two, and they would both be female. I decided the one born first would carry on my powers._

_And the one that was born first, was you._

.oOo.

"So do you understand, now?"

Victoria sat, silent, still processing. Sylvia was patient, she knew this was a lot to take, her history and the history of what they were.

Sharply, she took in a breath, and slowly let it out.

Victoria shuddered, but not from the cold.

"So then how did you die? What happened next?" Her eyes were pleading, and they were the eyes of a child, not the eyes of a young woman.

"I guess you do understand, even though you didn't answer my question," she said with a smirk. "It's all right, I haven't told you the rest of the story."

Victoria looked up sharply, curious.

"There's more?"

Sylvia nodded slowly. "Yes, now listen."

.oOo.

_I gave you my third name, because I knew you were truly the one, and the other, a girl born with hair a color that was neither your father's or mine, Sapphire. _

_For four years, I watched, waiting for the right time to possibly tell you what you were, and that I would have to prepare you for my history and your future one. No such opportunity came that I was comfortable with, and the birth of your brother complicated matters even further._

_I was a nervous wreck, feeling emotions I never expected I would feel._

_Because your life span was different from mine, it actually had a point where it would naturally disappear; I could not comprehend teaching you such things._

_As you mother, I wanted to keep the pain of it away from you._

_I wanted to keep it from your twin and your brother, too._

_Because I loved your father, wholly I loved you and your sibling wholly as well. This complicated matters once more, and I could not figure out why I was having such trouble. _

_And then disaster struck._

_You were nine, no doubt you remember this day well, and we were going on a picnic by Zora's Waterfall. It was simple, and carefully planned, no danger involved._

_How naïve I was._

_Still just a young adult in many aspects, especially elvish, I did not comprehend what could happen to a little five year old and the devotion of his sibling._

_When he fell, my thoughts went blank. I felt almost helpless, but in truth, it was because I __was__ helpless. For all my power, and all my magic, I could not move or stop the event from happening. _

_I could not do it even when both Sapphire's life and Stephen's were on the line. It wasn't until I saw you run after your father who tried to save them that I could move. I watched as you ran past your father, past them, in an attempt to save them. _

_You very nearly succeeded, but in the end, they were lost to us. I cannot truly tell you their whereabouts, if either of them still lives. _

_That is not something I can do._

_I watched you grieve for half a year, and I watched you play with the boy who I knew would become Hyrule's savior. _

_It was on the day of your tenth birthday that my actions had come round to me at last. Remember the boy I cursed? I believe you know him as Shadow. Gannondorf had raised him, and had finally realized the curse I'd given him. He came back to end my life, and I knew he would succeed. _

_But I knew that when he did, my powers would transfer to you._

_And your tiny little ten-year-old body could not hold such power. It would destroy you, literally. The dimensions of this planet would crumble. _

_So your father and I bought you enough time to get to a place where I could send you to where you could grow up until your body was big enough to house the power. Until you were strong enough._

_I sent your spirit and your soul to Solitary, Hyrule's current form of a spiritual prison. I kept your body and everything else in the real world, looked after by people I trusted. You would be safe._

.oOo.

"And that was all that mattered."

Victoria blinked, now standing.

"I understand now, I really do, but what can I do to save Shadow? Did you know I was going to fall for him in the same way you fell for father?"

Sylvia shook her head. "No, I didn't know. There's a lot that I don't know."

She sighed. "That was one of them. Glimpses of the future are rare, even for Keepers. You must feel angry with me for not saying anything. I feel like I let you down in that aspect."

"You didn't let me down, mother," Victoria said softly, walking closer to her, close enough to touch her, "not at all. You were worried about me."

She smiled at Sylvia. "You were just being a mother, and you can't _see_ that."

Sylvia smiled back at her daughter. "How wise you are. So you forgive me for what I did?" Victoria bowed her head a little. "For your sake."

She turned. "But…"

A light bulb went off in Sylvia's mind. "I know what you need. Here, turn around." Victoria obeyed, and in a flash of bright golden light, a long staff with a wooden curve, and feathers at its tip materialized his her hands. She handed it carefully to Victoria, who looked it up and down curiously.

"This staff will help you on your journey. It is yours now, you don't have to return it. Its name is Cronos, and it will teach you all you need to know. With this, magic will come to you." Sylvia smiled. "You'll find the fever more easily managed, as well as the headaches. Just don't wear yourself out too much, or they'll come back to you with a vengeance." She grinned, a warning glint lingering in her eyes.

Victoria laughed softly. "Thank you, Mother."

"No, my child, thank _you_."

Victoria left, and Sylvia watched, eventually disappearing into the darkness.

_Know that you can return here whenever you wish… the door is open…_

Victoria returned to the surface, and met up with Link.

"Had a good time with Impa?" She laughed gently at her own joke as she caught sight weary warrior. "I don't see what's so funny… she worked me pretty good!" Victoria laughed again.

"You seem to be better now. And what's with the staff?"

Victoria sighed, and looked into his eyes.

"I can't explain this, Link. I just can't right now. Right now, we have things to do. We have to rescue Shadow!"

Link nodded. "Right!"

And they left Kakariko, bound for Lake Hylia, Impa watching them as the left. She muttered something, to a passerby it would sound just as though she were talking to herself, but her whispers were for the wind's ears.

"I did as you asked, my queen, your princess has awakened."

* * *

(1) Dari means damn or dammit in Hylian.

Go to www. kasuto. Net (no spaces) for more info on the Hylian language. ;) I'd like to know how this guy did it, lol

Vikki: Ooh… it's finished! And at last! An update for this story! I never thought I'd update this story for millennia!

Yami Vikki: Assuming you'd live that long…

Vikki: Hush you! Oh, please review! I didn't write all that stuff in italics for nothing! How good was it? Seriously! I have Link shaped cookies!


	5. Saving Shadow

Chapter Five: Saving Shadow

.oOo.

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 5

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: If all this were mine, I would have made KH use Hyrule as a world already and made me a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh series. I don't own Zelda, okay?

Description: Her past is full of sorrow, and her future doesn't seem to be worth living. Her life is so tangled with half-truths and lies that the only person she has also has a past like hers. Will she uncover her past before evil destroys what's left of her purity?

Author's Notes-

Basically, this is sort of a synopsis of the last two chapters of Shadow Watcher. Saving Shadow time! w00t!

**EDIT:** Grammar edits. I changed the Zora's name from Jacob to Manu, because it seemed more right for the setting. I was also tempted to tweak his personality into on of those 'Girl, I _so_ got the right outfit for you' kind of people, but I decided to leave him be. He's a minor character, you know? :D

Yami Vikki: (standing looking over Vikki's shoulder) Why do you bother updating?

Vikki: (looks at Yami) For the sake of having it up here to read.

Yami Vikki: For yourself?

Vikki: (looks back down) And others.

Yami Vikki: Even though no one really reads this thing?

Vikki: Oh people read it: they just don't review.

Yami Vikki: (is surprised) How do you know?

Vikki: (points to story traffic)

Yami Vikki: Oh. On with it then.

Vikki: (smiles and presses 'submit chapter' button)

.oOo.

Victoria stopped abruptly, her heels digging into the dirt. Link was perplexed, and he moved to ask her a question (by putting up one finger and trying and failing to make sound come out of his mouth) but she beat him to the punch.

"Link?"

Link was suddenly able to find himself, and gathered his bearings quickly. He nodded to her.

"Yes? Why did you stop?" She spun around, her skirts twirling about in a beautiful manner. "It's the Water Temple, I'm sure of it. But…the temple's underwater. I need a tunic, Link." He nodded. "I think I can have one made for you."

Smiling gently, she nodded, laughing softly. "Onward, then!"

And then there they were, jumping through the waterfall, jogging to the shop where the Zoras made their tunics.

"Manu!" Link barked as he burst through the door, "I need a tunic made!" The shopkeeper, apparently named Manu, was startled by Link's sudden appearance and comically dropped the fish he was holding, slipping on it and falling. He got back up quickly, pretending it hadn't happened.

"Shield eater eat it again?" He asked, hands on his hips, grinning. Link shook his head. "I was wondering if you could make a tunic for my friend here." He motioned to Victoria with his right hand, who was behind him, leaning against the wall. Manu took a good look at her and smiled. "I might actually have one her size. Do you have a specific style in mind, miss?"

"Yes," Victoria told him, standing next to Link, "something not too restricting, but in the style of the Shiekah." Manu stopped a moment, and searched her eyes. "Ah, I see. Yes, yes, I can make short work of that. Give me a moment."

As he disappeared behind the shelf made of the rock wall and coral, she whispered to Link, "How long is this going to take, you think?" He shrugged. "Not very long. He knows a bit of magic, Manu. Not too much, but enough to help him tailor something quickly." She blinked. "How you know that?" He looked to his left, blushing slightly. "Well, the tunic he found for me fit perfectly, but the biggest hat they had was still a little too small. I've got a really big head, you see."

She laughed, the sound ringing out like bells. "Hopefully it's only literal, Link!" She laughed again, the laughter contagious enough to start even Link chuckling a little.

They managed to stifle the last of their giggles as Manu came back out, holding some folded blue clothing.

It was mostly blue from what they could see, as Zora Tunics are, but made of scales that were so soft you would almost think it thread. "You can try it on in the back," Manu said, handing it to her. She walked around the back, taking off everything for the exception of her lacy bodice, slipping on the pants and shirt. She spun around, getting a feel for the tunic. It felt just right, as if it had been waiting for her.

For all she knew, it had.

She walked out, showing it off to Link. "Well? What do you think?"

Link's mouth lowered slightly, his eyes widening. _Wow,_ he thought, _that looks…good._

The tunic was slim fitting like a Sheikah's outfit, though the black laces that bound the light brown leather over the gray bandages were all that hinted it was of Shiekah make. It had decorations in the back that started at the base of her spine and split into two sky blue ribbons that twirled about her feet, and the top half was gently cut to meld into the ribbons as well as cling to her body shape, but enough to be light and comfortable.

After a period of silence Link finally stammered, "Y-Yeah that looks great. How much is it?" Manu waved his right hand at Link as if to wave the comment away. "Free of charge, my friend. And I'll repair the ribbons anytime if they get torn."

They exited, thanking him again. They stopped by Victoria's cottage to drop off her clothing from before and when she locked the door she turned to him again.

"I'll need a set of those boots, too. I don't fancy having to hang onto you all the time. No offence, you've got great body, but well, yeah. I don't particularly like feeling dependent on people anymore…" She ducked her head low and muttered quietly, "Must be the hormones." Link nodded, chuckling. "I get your point. Shadow managed to duplicate them somehow… can you do the same?" Victoria thought a moment.

Could she? She looked deep into her new-set magical core and wondered if Cronos could help her. A comforting, trusting sensation rushed through her and then she gasped through a sudden smile.

Summoning her staff with a sweeping wave of her hand, twirling it once, and then grasping it, she set it in the ground with a gentle thud. "If you could put them on, I think I can do this." He did so, and she swept the tip across his boots, and then, holding her hand above her head, she spun it around herself, the bottom of her boots sparkling and eventually materializing into iron. She set the staff down again, looking proud.

"And you're going to walk to the lake like that?" "No, of course not!"

She jumped up in the air, and with a clanking sound; her boots were normal once more. She put a hand to her chest and held back a hacking cough. A small lancing pain lashed through her sinuses, but quickly faded. She would have to be careful with how she used her magic. Her body was not quite ready to sustain battle magic yet. So she simply flashed a reassuring smile in Link's direction, which he returned.

"Now that," said Link, "is cool." She nodded, making her staff disappear.

.oOo.

In an eternal illusion, a man sat slumped against a tree. This tree existed and didn't exist at the same time, but for him, it didn't matter.

His eyes, a dull almost colorless red looked off into the distance at nothing.

Inside, he was screaming.

He breathed, but the breathing was not his own. Black hair fell across his eyes. Black bangs that had once been colored a brilliant blond that stood out from the rest of him. Not even a single strand of the tips of his hair was brown like it had once been, and the shadows seemed to hold in place.

Like a prison.

And what a prison it was.

.oOo.

Victoria led Link to where she felt Shadow's aura pulsed. "It's too faint," she first said, "It's like something's masking it. I don't understand." Link felt it too, as much as he didn't want to admit it. _So I am his lighter half then. So what does that make him? Dark Link?_

Shadow, his mind corrected.

And finally they stopped at the waterfall room. "Not this room," he groaned, "please tell me you were mistaken." She laughed a little. "I'm afraid not. You're gonna have to give me a ride."

He wasn't too keen on giving anyone a ride, but he had too. He felt that this was where he had to go to press on. He also felt that he was getting closer and closer to Shadow. Something inside him beat like a second heart, telling him this. He didn't care how he knew, he just knew.

She clung to him as he fired shot after shot. Good thing her tunic was fashioned similarly to an outfit worn by a Shiekah.

The next room was more of a challenge.

She surveyed it and shook her head. "Either we spend priceless time tossing that thing of yours back and forth, or you keep giving me a ride."

He smiled through an exasperated groan. At least she wasn't without her sarcasm.

Once he'd killed the shield eater on the other side of the spikes, they stood in front of the door. Or rather, she stood, he watched her.

"He's in here," she said softly. Link's eyebrows furrowed. She loved Shadow. He knew that much. How did she feel, he wondered, about all this? Was she afraid for him? Well, actually, she'd said that when she'd woken him up at the waterfall.

He wanted to say something to her that might give her comfort, but the words failed him. Instead, he gently forced a smile and said to her, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

He walked to the door, and opened it, standing there, holding out his hand. "Aren't you coming?" She shook her head and shook a scolding finger at him as if telling him he should be more careful. "Yeah, yeah. Just be careful, all right?" Yeah, she did. Link didn't say it, but he knew her too well.

They walked into the room, and the door closed with a SLAM! and bars sealed it shut. "This room doesn't feel right Victoria," he said. Victoria looked across the strange room. _It's like it never ends,_ she thought. "Not right at all," she said softly. She paused, spotting the door standing up out of the too-still water on the other side of the lifeless tree.

"What about that door over there?" He shrugged. She didn't think it would hurt to check it out. But why did she have this feeling of foreboding? She realized it in an instant as a figure rose up from the shadows of the tree, and bars rose up across the door with another slicing SLAM! and the figure ran at Link with his sword drawn to kill.

"Link!" she cried, her hand reaching out as if she could bring him back to safety, "Look out!"

He turned, and the figure missed by an inch.

They fought. Sword against sword, evenly matched, Link trying every tactic possible to scratch him, but holding back from what she could see. She was immobile. She could fight and help him. Why not? And then she saw his face. The same face with the gentle lips she'd kissed less than a day ago. Her breathing hitched as she realized who she was looking at: Shadow.

Her Shadow.

_No! Shadow!_ Shadow was moving faster, power surging through him, around him, against him. _Shadow! _She cried, instinctively trying to reach his mind with magic. She recoiled when she found it blocked, a momentary fever washing over her, bringing her to the floor. The blockage crippled her for a moment or so, but she pulled through the attack once the fever abated. With a shock she realized Shadow was gaining the upper hand. If she didn't act soon, Link would lose. Even a pink fairy wouldn't save him. He'd just lose again.

With her returned strength, she pushed against the stone to stand up.

She took a step back, a hand at her breast, when Link's sword went flying and hit something with a clang, rebounding into the water. She vaguely took note that there were walls to this place, but that didn't matter. Whatever had control of Shadow was threatening her friend. She couldn't let that happen.

So she ran.

She felt the adrenaline rush through her as she dug her heel into the stone, leaping as if in slow motion. She feared she would miss him, but she caught Shadow's shoulders and locked her hands into a grip of iron, leaning to the right and bringing him down.

He landed against her, his sword flying like Link's, knocking the wind out of her. Shadow acted quickly, turning around to her, his face twisted in anger. She felt fear in that moment, a fear that could not be explained. Shadow made to grab her shoulders and knock her out against the pavement, but lucky for her, she was quicker. She wrestled him over, with her against his chest.

_Shadow!_ She cried again, louder. Sickness welled in her gut, but she was past the pain. She didn't care if she passed out from it anymore, her anger was all she could see. She cried against the shield that blocked her, scratching dents, both mentally and physically as she slapped him clear across his left cheek, hoping he'd snap out of this and see reason.

He, however, did no such thing. They wrestled more and more, Shadow swinging a punch across her face as she was down in the water again.

_Shadow!_ She grit her teeth as she slammed her head against his. Or rather, tried to. She hesitated in the last second, and it was only a minor stinging sensation. Somehow they had gotten to their feet and she was holding him fast. Though he struggled, she was determined to bring the real Shadow back out of him.

"Shadow wake up!" She cried at last, her voice barking and strong. She almost faltered in surprise at the strength of it, but didn't skip a beat. "Wake up you idiot! Stop, Shadow! Stop! I need you!"

The instant her voice had pierced the air, Shadow stopped struggling. He shook, as if he were shivering in the cold, and his _eyes_ shattered. They traveled to Victoria's and met them for one moment. A second after, he grasped her arms, sliding down to his knees. He leaned against her, steadying his breathing, but suddenly, the strain of trying to stay awake was just too much for him. His grip on Victoria loosened, and he fell for the water, landing with a splash.

The splash brought Victoria back to the present after being held in place for so long. Link hadn't moved yet either, but it didn't look like he was going to anytime soon. Gingerly, she kneeled down as the illusion of the room disappeared, and she took Shadow into her arms. She clung to him for a moment, tightening her grip around him with tears rolling one by one down her cheeks and into his hair. There was just the two of them in that moment, just being. Not even the water existed.

_His wounds need tending,_ she told herself as Link was finally getting up. She slid her arms under his and dragged him as slowly as she would allow herself over to the wall that was now visible. She propped him up against it, sighing.

"Shadow," she whispered, "what happened, hmm? Why did you leave?"

From behind her, she heard Link ask her if he'd be all right. "He just fainted. Whatever he did to take control again must have taken a lot of energy." Link came to her and set a Red Potion beside her. He also laid Shadow's sword at his right side in the water. "That might help when he wakes up."

She nodded sharply, but kept tending to the wounds. Just as she was patching up the last one, Shadow began to stir. Behind her, Link took a step back, apprehensive about Shadow's awakening.

Shadow's lashes blinked blearily for some moments, but then focused on her red irises. She smiled gently. "Hey." He was breathing slowly, as if he couldn't believe she was real. He reached out to touch her, his gauntlet fingers just barely grazing the angry red flesh on her left cheek. "I-I'm sorry. I-I couldn't…couldn't do anything. Link…" Victoria hushed him, but then his eyes snapped over to Link.

He sat up a little, breathing faster. "Can you forgive me? I wasn't myself! I couldn't…I—"

Victoria turned her head swiftly to see Link holding up a hand, silencing him.

"It wasn't your fault Shadow. If anything, it's me who should be sorry for even giving myself the thought of having to kill you. Why, if Victoria hadn't gone and did what she did, you might not be alive."

She blushed furiously, and tried not to let either of them see. Sure, it might've gone bad, but he would've found a way to win somehow, right? "But," Link added, "you're forgiven anyway, just so I don't have to see you looking guilty all the time." Shadow's lips curled into a gentle grin. At least they were at peace with each other.

Victoria got up, helping Shadow, and they followed Link into the next room. "In there is the Longshot. It's a upgraded version of your Hookshot." Shadow seemed very well informed about the temple, and probably the other temples as well. Link took it, and handed Shadow the Hookshot. "Take it, then. It might still be of some use to you."

He looked the Hookshot over, and nodded to himself. "This will get us back to the main room, but we'll have to figure something out if we're going to defeat the boss together." Link left the room to survey the next one, and Shadow made to follow him, but Victoria grabbed his wrist before he could jump.

"What?" Shadow asked, turning. She wanted to grab his other wrist, to hold both of his hands in her own, but she hesitated, leaving her left hand a few inches away from his. "When we get out of here, you do know you have to tell us everything, right?" She was determined to find out, not because he'd withheld the truth from her, but because she needed to know. "Everything?" he asked, crestfallen. "Everything you can bear, at least. I don't want to lose you again."

He smiled bitterly. "I promise to. Now go on so I can change. Tell Link I'll be there in a moment."

It took them awhile to made it back to the main chamber (as well as rise the water levels to the highest level possible), but they were finally standing on the platform across from the ledge now accessible via the Longshot.

However…

"Well, I could take you over there, and them come back for Victoria and we'll all be over there." Shadow frowned a little.

"But that seems too _slow_. Are you sure there isn't any other way?"

"I don't think it could hold us all going across, and even with the water levels up, I don't fancy breaking the Longshot either."

Victoria looked back and forth as Shadow and Link argued about whether one way of getting across was better than the other. Frankly, she just wanted to take the Longshot herself and be over with it. But she just sighed and kept tapping her feet, waiting for them to resolve it already.

"But we can't spend all that time going back and forth."

But, she decided, they were short on time.

"It's just two people, Shadow!"

SNATCH!

Victoria grabbed the Longshot out of Link's hands in a flash. She then grabbed him by the arm, and with the same sstrength she'd used in the room of illusions, swung him over her shoulder, and shot the Longshot at the target. Then they went flying through the air, coming to a sudden halt on the dragon statue with a _slam_, after which Link was rolled off to the side, and watched dizzily as she did the same thing to Shadow, rolling him off to the other side, then handing him the Longshot when she'd recovered.

"Problem solved," she said drolly, her curt voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That was very smooth," Shadow said, shaking his head. Apparently he was still a little dizzy.

"Yeah. Real smooth. You sure know how to seduce a man, Victoria." She laughed. "Only you," she said, still laughing and waving another scolding finger, "only you."

And they entered the next room, collecting faeries before entering the boss room. As for the boss room itself, it wasn't much. "Does something feel very _odd_, to you?" Victoria asked. Shadow stroked his chin. "Yes. But I don't know what. I do know this though; it's too quiet. What's it waiting for?" Victoria's senses scanned the room for anything unusual. There had to be something here, or what else would they be doing there for?

"Movement?" Link suggested, baffled. "I've noticed that the bosses of these temples usually react to movement."

Shadow looked at Link, giving him a reproachful look. "And I'm guessing you want to be the person who drew the short straw?" I laughed a little at the expression. "Really, I was the person who drew the short straw in the first place. I'm only lucky you're here helping." They both nodded. "True," Victoria muttered. She tilted her head to the size as she watched her friend. He hadn't asked for this, but he did it anyway. What she wouldn't give to have that kind of courage.

She snapped out of her revere when Link jumped out onto one of the four stone platforms in the middle of the funny looking water. "Hey! Link, this water looks funny! Be careful!" And there was Navi, who was once again, a little late on the uptake.

Link sighed, and then turned around. "I…I don't get it."

Apparently he'd spoken a little too soon.

Victoria stepped back, only stopping once she'd come in contact with the wall. The look of horror on Victoria's face terrified Link, and the look of Shadow's face staring at him as well, but Shadow's eyes looking up confirmed it.

Before he could turn around, something long and blue slipped around his waist, and as the Longshot flew from his hand to Shadow's, he slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness.

The creature that had taken him was an amoeba, but a giant one, with jelly tentacles filled with shockingly powerful electricity. The tentacle that had taken Link, once she looked closer, carried the true force behind all this; a little orange sponge.

"Ugh," Victoria sneered, wrinkling her nose, "what is that?" "That," Shadow said, moving in front of her slightly, "is Morpha. I don't think you need to be a potions' master to figure out it's an amoeba. Or aquatic." He scowled in anger, looking around. Quickly, he tossed her the Hookshot, and ran for the leftmost corner from the door, shouting back to her, "Run to a corner!"

"It won't be able to reach you there!" She bolted the other way, clinging to it for dear life. "Oy! If it gets close to you, shoot it, and then whack it with that staff!" She nodded, her backside firmly pressed into the gap between the spikes.

She could see Link from where she was, trapped in some sort of transparent bubble that was holding him down. He had woken up now, and was panicking. With gasp and the skipping beat of her heart, she realized why.

"Oh no… Victoria…"

"I see him, Shadow. That hole is sucking out air from inside the bubble. Air or water. Whichever it's sucking, we don't have much time to kill this monster." _At least, before it kills us._

Shadow growled as a tentacle rose in front of him, using Navi as a targeting system, shooting the Longshot at the orange mushy mass and brought it out of the water.

He unsheathed his sword as quick as humanly possible gave it as many whacks as he was able. His last whack sent the sword an inch deep into the stone, which he was barely able to take out of the stone to run from the boss's attack.

It appeared on Victoria's side next, and she stepped a little closer so the Hookshot could reach.

When it reached out for her, she grasped the sponge and it snapped onto the ground desperately flopping back to the water. Before she could reach it, she summoned her staff and fried it with a few bolts of lightning. This time, she didn't wince with the pain of a headache, but she could feel her gut churning with a sickly slowness. She didn't know how she knew what she was doing, either, but perhaps it was the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Shadow cried out as it disappeared into the water, "Look out!" And she jumped back before a blue tentacle could grasp her. She put a hand to her chest, hoping to still her frantically beating heart.

And then she looked across to Shadow, who it would surely be going after next. A tentacle missed hitting him, but fell pretty close to his left leg. It rose up, and then shot for it, hitting its target, and bringing him to one knee. Her features twisted in anger, and she shot off like a rocket. Shadow was struggling to keep himself out of the water, the electricity from the tentacle making him sway. But she would have to change that.

Grasping the same leg, Victoria sent a shockwave of electricity through to the tentacle, which now carried the weakened boss.

Shadow watched blurrily as it flopped around, desperately trying to make it to the water to attack one more time, but Victoria had grabbed his sword and stuck it all the way through to creepy orange creature, killing it. It exploded all over the sword and the stone, goo clinging everywhere. After a moment of silence, Victoria turned to Shadow and gave a small smile. Then she picked up his sword as Shadow got to his feet.

"Thanks," he said, exasperated, holding his head a little as she handed him his glop-covered sword.

She chuckled and thanked him, as though she knew what he was sarcastically thanking her for. "Yeah, sure. You're welcome." He groaned, and she laughed again. She knew he knew he couldn't stay mad at her forever.

They both jumped down to find a soaking wet Link shivering and staring at the grating, which was now covered.

"Remind me not to come in here again," Link said, his voice shaking in the same manner his body was.

"Gladly," Shadow quipped.

And then they disappeared in a flash of blue light.

.oOo.

The trio found themselves at the edge of Lake Hylia, which was now filling up. Victoria looked across the lake that meant so much to her, now more than ever. The rising sun that poured it's rays across the sparkling water made it all the more beautiful; memorable.

Link turned around suddenly, Victoria spinning around with him. Shadow was a little late on the uptake. The Sheikah stood watching the lake. It was a while before he spoke.

"Did Ruto want to thank me?" he said softly. Link nodded, at a loss for words.

"I see..." Finally, he found himself again. "See what?" If they could've seen a smile through his cowl, there would be one. "We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake, too. Don't we?"

Link made a strange, strangled groan. Whoever this Ruto was, he wasn't very fond of her. Victoria smiled a little, and gave a soft barking chuckle.

"Look at that, Link," the Sheikah said, gesturing to the lake, "together, you and Princess Ruto destroyed the evil monster! Once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here."

Sheik turned slightly and the two of them met eyes. Red eyes acknowledged each other as equals, and Victoria recognized this particular Shiekah as the same one that she'd met at the Temple of Time.

_I am Shiek_, he said to her, using the Shiekah mind link. _I am Victoria._

Sheik's eyes softened. He made to reach for a Deku Nut, but Link called out to him. "Wait!"

Shiek chuckled. "You ask me to wait a fair bit, don't you? I cannot, hero, but you know where to go when you need me." And finally, Sheik threw down a Deku Nut, and disappeared before its blinding smoke cleared.

"Strange, isn't he?" Shadow muttered to Victoria. She shrugged. "He's a Sheikah. Strange is their life." She smiled inwardly. That meant she was strange too, but she didn't mind. It was the good kind of strange. Shadow nodded, agreeing.

Link turned to Shadow then.

"Shadow, I…" He paused. It seemed he wanted to word this carefully. "What happened in the Water Temple before—" "Was entirely my fault. And I know that. You don't have to apologize." Link sighed, content, nodding to confirm it. "So… what now? We just… be friends?"

Shadow smiled. This smile was something true, and genuine. Victoria saw the same Shadow that kissed her that very first time in his shack, and she simply watched. She wanted to wait a little longer to tell them. "Yes," Shadow said softly, "but good ones." Link smiled back. "Very good ones."

They shook hands, but the tender moment was ruined by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

They turned.

"What?" they both said, surprised.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Victoria had her hands on her hips, a wry smile on her face.

"Sure," said Shadow, "someone's got to keep an eye out for us, right?" She laughed. "To make sure you don't die? Yeah. What would you two do without me, hmm?" "We'd still be alive. We might not have all of our limbs, but we'd still be alive." Victoria laughed again.

"You two are nuts."

"Yep," they said in unison.

"Complete idiots."

"Yep."

"Insane, almost."

"Mmhm."

"And…"

"And?"

"And you smell like week old socks! Take a bath!"

.oOo.

Night had fallen and Victoria was standing in the same spot they'd stood at when they'd come back from the Water Temple. She held her staff in her right hand firmly in the ground, the gentle wind blowing the ribbons of her outfit in the air.

Shadow had told them everything, like he'd promised her, but with knowledge comes responsibility. She knew she was no longer a child, but the things Shadow had told them were gruesome. Well, that worse half of his life at least. Millions of new questions that even Shadow couldn't answer were turning through her head, keeping her awake. She looked up at the stars, her eyes sparkling rubies.

"Something troubling you?"

She gasped silently. She hadn't even heard Shadow approach. _That's because you're too lost in your thoughts girl_, she told herself, _what if next time it's not him, but a monster?_

She turned around on the spot, the moon's light shining down upon them, directly overhead. Midnight.

She frowned, dismissing her staff and looking off to her left. "You could say that, yes."

Shadow walked closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't have to listen. What happened to me happened. But you seem hurt. Why? You know, you still haven't told me about your past. Link I can understand, the Master Sword wouldn't have him until he was old enough, but you…"

He shook his head.

"I need answers too." She smiled bitterly. "Careful, those answers will bring about more questions that might have no answers." He chuckled, his hands falling to his sides once more. "I think I'll take the risk. Are you willing to tell me?" She nodded. "it's only fair."

She turned back to the lake, looking across it. She told Shadow of her mother's story, and how she was her mother's heir. She told him that the curse that he had was the result of her mother, and it couldn't be reversed, so her mother said.

"And Gannondorf killed her for what she did to me?" She nodded. "Yes. She wanted to ensure my safety, because that much power would have killed me." "And that would've been bad." "Yeah, pretty much."

She laughed softly. "But, like Link, I'm not a child anymore. I don't think I could ever go back. Not to that." But she knew that Shadow could be anywhere in that reality, and the prospect of not being able to find him again scared her. "Maybe we don't have to, love."

He hugged her from behind, and she willed her staff to disappear. Turned in his hug, she put her hands against his chest. "Yes," she whispered, "maybe." And with that, she kissed him, slow and tender. How she'd missed this. She pressed her head against her hands and listened to the beating of his heart. "Oh, Shadow?" she whispered. "Mmm?" "Don't you go thinking that just because I'm a girl, that I can't fight." He chuckled. "No, I've seen plenty of your skills to satisfy me. Perhaps we should go back? Get some rest?"

But there was no answer. Smiling, he took her in his arms and carried her back to their camp.

.oOo.

Vikki: Just thought I'd kill some time. Hope it doesn't suck TOO much. ;)


	6. Kakariko

Chapter Six: Kakariko

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 6

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: I own a kite and a figurine that's missing a shield. The actual franchise? Not so much.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

**Author's Notes-**

Don't you worry; they'll get to the Shadow Temple. In the next chapter, I promise. I just need some character development and some loving. Maybe a little lime. No lemon yet, not until they're married. XD

On with the fic!

* * *

Victoria, being the early riser she was, was the first to awake on the monster-less shore of Lake Hylia.

Her red hair was mussed, and stuck out at various angles from all her tossing and turning that night, but still somehow looked beautiful. She began to remember the events that had occurred yesterday and wondered if they had happened at all, but found the energy of her staff burning brightly in her magical core, and the warm presence of a body lying next to hers.

To her relief, it was Shadow.

He was still asleep, and looking years younger than he was (and quite possibly a decade or so younger than he felt) with his mouth open and drooling. Victoria couldn't help but giggle.

The sound, reaching his ears, caused it to twitch, and gradually but quickly he began to awaken.

At first, he simply blinked as she stared, trying to cover up her dimpled cheeks and silent laughter, but then realized exactly what she was staring and laughing at, and wiped it away with a jolt.

"Good morning, Shadow," she said, the laughter still lingering in her voice.

He scoffed, very lightly and almost like a laugh, and shook his head. "You weren't supposed to see that." Then the blush crept into his cheeks that started to show even through his dark complexion.

"I don't mind," she said, moving in closer, their noses almost touching, "I think it looks cute." Shadow blinked, suddenly aware of how close she was. He could smell her breath – hardly like morning breath at all – blasting sweetly in his face, and the remnants of the perfume she'd put on days ago (probably the day he'd first kissed her, which, when he thought about it, was only just two days ago, if he wasn't mistaken) still lingering. It complimented the faint mint of the air with its faint lilac and lemons, and of course, the ashy smell of her fiery hair.

It was completely intoxicating.

He moved in for a kiss, first just because it was the first thing that came to mind, but then he felt he needed _more_.

The kiss was long and heated, and they only broke apart for air, only to start again. This went on until he found himself reaching for the clasp of her tunic, but he stopped and moved away, breathing heavily. Victoria seemed confused at why he'd stopped.

"Something wrong?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"Hardly. It's all too perfect. I would keep on, but I can't do _that_ to you." He sighed. "You know what I mean don't you?" She was surprised; he'd actually remembered that part of her still had the mentality of a ten-year-old.

But she did know what he meant.

"Yes," she replied breathlessly, "I'm not that dull. I knew I had to, ah educate myself on certain things." Finally catching her breath, she frowned and murmured, "Especially before _that_ time of the month." A wry smile graced her lips. "If you know what I mean."

Shadow scoffed nodding. "But I can't do that to you. One it would be your first, and two, I believe taking that first belongs to whoever chooses to marry you. Even if it is me, I'd still…"

She nodded. "I get it. But it doesn't mean I can't please you."

Mentally, she wondered at the limits of her audacity. Did she know what she was saying? Of course she did, or she wouldn't have said it.

A seductive, sexy grin widened from ear to ear that sent shivers down his spine. "B-But please, not here," he stuttered, surprised to see her like this, "not with Link so close to waking."

She turned to look. He showed no signs of doing so.

"I doubt anything except cursing at him and a good dose of sunlight in his eyes would do anything for him. He'd sleep through a earthquake for Din's sake, don't you know?" Shadow smiled fondly, his initial feelings forgotten. "Perhaps, but I meant what I said. Not here, not now. Later, perhaps."

The smile dimmed to a wry smirk as he sifted his fingers through her feather-light hair.

She was slightly disappointed, but she knew what he was getting at. Her innocence was a one time only sort of thing, and if her father knew she was so close to him now… she shuddered to think of the things he'd say. But she knew they were right. Was this love, or whatever it was at the moment, was it really going to last? She did indeed feel something for him, but hadn't anything to really back up that claim.

"I wish I could prove it," she whispered, the words soft and barely a thought on her lips. Shadow heard her and asked her what she said. She jumped slightly, shaking her head and insisting it was nothing.

By now the sun had fully risen, and Link was awake.

"Can't that dammed sun get up later? Ugh." Link sat up, still sleepy and tired, but had gotten a good bit of sleep as far as she could tell.

"Afraid not. We have to get moving anyway. Gannondorf will not stop for anything, especially not to let us rest. The next temple is actually behind Kakariko's graveyard, so if we want to get moving, we need to do it soon." Shadow was serious, Link could tell. But there didn't seem to be any pain on his face; perhaps it was because he had left Gannondorf behind.

"I think we should get something to eat first. Fainting from nothing to eat is sure to be a bad thing, especially in a temple. And, I do not want to be felled by such a small thing as hunger!" Link's lips turned upwards into a grin, a laugh threatening to fly past them.

Shadow shook his head, but saw his point.

"Let's go to Kakariko's bar," Victoria piped, "It's my week off, but I can still get us a discount."

So they all packed their things (stuffing most of it in Link's hat, the bottomless pit that it was) and kept only the belongings that really mattered on them. Victoria's staff was stored safely away in the magical space-between-spaces where her core resided, but she was given Link's former slingshot, very small on his adult hands, but just big enough for hers, adult or not. She always had rather small hands.

"I'd rather have a bow, though," she said as they traveled across Hyrule Field, "this slingshot feels to much like a child's toy in my hands now. Hopefully there's one in my father's house."

Shadow had his master sword copy, and the Hookshot, for he'd returned the Longshot to Link. The Hookshot was tethered loosely to a loop in his belt for easy access, but strong enough to not fall during battle. Link had only his green clothing, sword, and hat, in which he kept everything else.

Traveling light was crucial if they were to stay on the run from Gannondorf's forces.

But by the time they'd made it to Lon Lon Ranch, Victoria's new, sharp magical senses picked up on a dark force beyond the river. Focusing on its location, she found it to be near Kakariko, or rather, deep below it. It was a powerful force. It tasted dark, evil, and ancient. And it was being let loose.

"We have to hurry," she said simply, urgency behind her voice, "something's wrong." She shook her head, her eyes beginning to cloud over as she searched the power further. "Kakariko's in trouble."

"What, already?" Shadow asked incredulously, "It can't be…"

But Link could sense it too, his very faint magical core picking up on it now. He looked back at Victoria as her eyes snapped back into focus, recoiling in pain. She had delved too much, and the ancient force and pushed her back into herself. There were remnants of an ancient magic lingering on the creature (that's what she felt it was just before her mind had returned to her) a magic she felt burning deep inside herself. Sheikah magic.

Link broke into a run, and Shadow followed, but Victoria, now smelling and seeing smoke rising from over the cliffs of the gorge Kakariko rested in, ran faster, ahead of them, ignoring their calls.

Memories of the flames that had taken her life from her came rushing back, fueling her desperate need to run. She couldn't stand by and let it burn; not this time. She flew past the gate and the townspeople fleeing and calling after her. She didn't listen to them. Her instinct was to help seal the monster that was about to break free. She had no choice.

_Stop!_ A voice called. _You must stop! This is beyond you!_

And she did; violently and suddenly she dug her boots' heels into the earth.

There stood Sheik whom she had remembered from the day earlier. "What is happening?" She asked anxiously, finding that her voice had not been lost to the memories that were still plaguing her head, pulling back her fears and suddenly making her feel every bit of the child she still was.

"The monster sealed in the well is breaking free, Princess," he said, "Impa tried to stop it, but it's no use."

"Then why are you here?" Silence. "Because I have to be. The Hero approaches." He said this calmly, but then stood back, a feeling of panic seizing him. He spun around and shouted, "Come no closer! Princess, get back!" Shadow and Link stopped in their tracks, but Victoria couldn't move. The vile creature blew the off the well's top, the planks burying themselves into the burning wreckages that blazed around them.

It came out, slowly, and immobilizing everything it saw as food. She could feel its primitive creature mind seek her out, but sensing her magical core, saw her as an enemy, not as prey. So it attacked her.

Almost a second too late, she summoned her staff and groped for a last minute shield. The creature, seemingly visible to only her eyes, slammed into it, knocking her down, but not harming her. Immediately she lost control of the shield and most of her consciousness. The last thing she saw was Sheik being picked up and thrown past her field of vision. Then she blacked out.

Shadow dove to catch Sheik, but managed to simply cushion his fall with his own body, while Link unsheathed his sword, searching for the enemy. He could feel it moving, thinking, hunting him, and then, at the last second, pouncing. It picked him up and threw him in the direction of the well before it decided to head for the graveyard. Shadow, unable to doing anything but watch, looked on as Sheik slowly crawled off of him.

"Forgive me," the Sheikah murmured, still slightly winded. Shadow sat up and coughed the stiffness from his lungs. "No problem. I wouldn't like to do that again though." Sheik nodded. "Likewise."

Shadow didn't trust his legs to carry him over to Victoria, so he crawled over to her, expecting the worst. He sighed once he saw her, reassured there was nothing wrong. Sheik, however, had trusted his legs to stand, and was behind him. "She summoned a shield just in time. It was fairly weak, but it kept her from sustaining damage. The hero, on the other hand…"

Sheik ran toward the place where Link lay. Shadow frowned, having detected a hint of fear in the Sheikah's voice, and was puzzled by it. What did the disappearing trained assassin have on his friend? He shook his head. For the first time, he began to suspect that Sheik was not who he said he was, but he would have to hold his tongue. He picked up Victoria, who was lighter than he expected, in his arms, and hurried to Link and Sheik.

Sheik was crouching by Link, who was just now coming to.

"Ugh. What was that? Came out of nowhere…"

"An evil shadow spirit," the Sheikah answered, "it has broken free of the bindings that kept it here for so long." Victoria had awoken and Shadow helped her back down on her feet.

"It's very old from what I felt earlier. And isn't really evil, just… possessed." She smirked, obviously knowing what she was talking about. "Ironic that a spirit is possessed by another." She shook her head. "It's been that way for a while. Perhaps the other spirit could've been saved, once, but they're too far bound to one another."

Link stood up now, setting his head in his right hand, leaning on a brick wall for support. "But I couldn't see it… why? I could definitely tell what it was thinking, though." At this, Victoria frowned. "I think only Sheikah can, because we're illusionists. And what are spirits but living, or rather, former living illusions?" Shadow was silent. He had been able to see it too. Was he of Sheikah lineage? It was entirely possible, since he knew neither of his birth parents.

"You're right," Sheik confirmed, "but there is a more pressing matter at hand. Impa has gone to the temple to try and seal it up again, but this time the monster's power will be too great." Sheik seemed to be holding in something, an emotion. Impa was a Sheikah too, she reasoned. Perhaps he felt connected to Impa, and was very close to her.

"Even as a sage, she will no longer have the chance she once had against it, when she sealed it the first time. I think one of you knows the way there, to the Temple, but you will need a method of getting there. Hero, can you stand?"

Link groaned and mumbled something about hating being called that. Victoria could sense a wry smile forming beneath the Sheikah's cowl, and a similar smile formed on her own face.

"Yes. I assume this is another melody?" Sheik nodded. "Yes, Hero. This is the melody that will draw you into infinite darkness that absorbs even time…" Victoria thought of her mother then, for a reason she could not comprehend. Time was inferior to the shadow… and as she was lost in her thoughts, Sheik pulled out a harp and spoke again.

"Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow."

Sheik played it to him once, a cascading of beautiful colors, and Link played it back in flawless perfection. Then the music took them away, Link playing the melody and Sheik harmonizing. The music brought Victoria back to reality, though it had an opposite effect on Shadow.

He remembered playing those notes to the shadows, once, on the violin that he'd been given on his eighth birthday. How happy they were. It was because of this song. Only when it ended did the memory end. Shadow touched his face gently and found a few tears trailing down his face. He brushed them away, but Victoria saw them. She took his wrist, and looked into his eyes, asking the silent question.

Silently, he replied back, caressing her cheek with his other hand.

And, to top it off, as the song began to wind down, rain began to fall. Shadow looked down at Victoria, eyebrows raised.

"Your doing?" he asked, curious. She shook her head. "No. But I'm thankful for it though." Shadow thought for a moment and remembered her fire. His limited magical knowledge told him that it was possible to use all of the elements (except shadow if it wasn't the first one you practiced) but it was often difficult and could even cause discomfort.

"Could you have done it anyway? The rain, I mean." She looked around for a moment, her eyes spotting her staff. She picked it up and set it again inside her magical core.

"Perhaps. But because my specialty is fire, it wouldn't have been very strong." The words left her lips absentmindedly, as if she were listening to someone speaking and relaying the message back to him. All he could do was turn around to Link as Sheik spoke a little more.

"Let me take care of the village. You go on to the Shadow Temple and defeat the monster within!" And with that and the snap of a Deku Nut he was gone.

They stood there for a moment in silence, the rain beating down the flames to little more than simmers. Looking around, Victoria could see that no real damage had been done, and felt relieved. Roofs were a little charred, and grasses were obviously very burnt, but nothing major. Link turned to them after some moments.

"As much as I'd like to play the Nocturne now and get it over with, I feel that I'm not prepared. The fact that I can't see illusions also unnerves me." He paused, the question she was sure he wanted to ask poised silently in the air.

"There is a way," Victoria said, remembering a story her father told her once, "beneath the well. I don't think you could reach it now, though. Perhaps," she drawled, trailing off, "perhaps in the past?" Link looked around for his sword, finding it embedded in what used to be the top of the well. "Sheik said the sword has the power to take me back. But if I do go back, what is it I'm looking for?"

"It's called the Eye of Truth. It reveals the truth behind the illusions people other than Sheikah cannot see. Though if you choose to go…" she eyed the Master Sword warily, "you will be on your own. You're all right with that?" He nodded. "I have to be. I need that Eye if I'm going to make it out of the Temple alive, even with your help. Don't want to be falling into some pit that will be the death of me, you know. That would kind of be bad."

She nodded seeing his point. "Shadow and I will help the townspeople get settled again. You go on and get the Eye. Oh, and you have to lower the level of water in the well, if it hasn't been already. You won't be able to get in otherwise." Link nodded, pulled out his sword, and left, headed for the Temple of Time.

Shadow and Victoria spent the majority of their day doing just that, cleaning up roofs and sweeping the dead grasses into the wheat shearer's boxes, which he'd later cut and wrap up the pieces long enough to be used as horse feed, and bag up the smaller grasses for the cows. After they were practically ordered to stop and go eat by the kind woman who occupied the village leader's home (Victoria later learned her name was Anju) the pair found themselves being served hot glazed ham and biscuits by Victoria's boss.

"Free of charge, the both of yeh, one being you two helped out so much an' all and two cause yer such a loyal worker an' all." Victoria smiled and nodded, saying a quick thank you before attacking her meal. It was dinnertime by now, and they hadn't eaten anything in quite some time.

Shadow took his time with his meal, savoring the taste and the texture of the meat on his tongue and between his teeth as he chewed. He'd only eaten fish ever since he'd run away from Gannondorf's castle, and so the ham was a welcome luxury. The biscuits, too, were savored, though more so the honey that he watched Victoria drench hers in, a childlike gleam in her eye.

"Part of you still a child, huh?" He said this softly, but with a hint of laughter in his voice. Victoria just smiled and laughed, the sound muffled by the biscuits stuffed in her cheeks. Shadow leaned in closer and licked a bit of honey she'd missed, sitting poised in the crook of her mouth, surprising her.

She swallowed quickly, shivering from the feelings the action had sent down her spine.

"Perhaps we should go elsewhere?" she asked breathlessly, staring into his strange color-shifting eyes. Shadow, remembering what she'd asked him earlier, nodded, and called for the bartender. "I think we're done," he said, "and we'd like to retire for the night." Her boss smiled and picked up the plates, the two of them walking slowly up to her father's house.

She'd spent part of the day doing so dusting inside, to make it a bit livable if they ever needed a place to recover, so her parents' bedroom was virtually dust free.

"I'd take us to my room, but the bed in there's fitted for a child. Interesting as that might be, I'd prefer something a little more accommodating."

He didn't even have to be surprised at her expression, and since he knew they'd be alone, he didn't bother closing the door.

He kissed her with a passion as they made their way to the four-poster cotton-sheeted bed. By the time they'd fallen into its welcome softness, their boots were off, and equipment had thudded to the floor. Shadow's hat and shirt had disappeared, though Victoria was still in most of her Zora's tunic.

"I told you," he whispered huskily, lust undeniable in his voice now, "I will not take you. Not tonight, not until we marry. If we marry." She nodded, breathing rapid and needy. She brought him down into a fiery kiss, their magics running hot in their veins. "I know. Tonight is about you." She let her hands travel down his chest, well toned from years in the desert sun and well muscled from combat training. She traced the lines of the scars on his back, becoming sad for a few moments before he took her wrists and brought her hand back to his chest.

"Forget them. That part of my life is gone. Until we face him again, worry about me not." Her resolve set aflame once more, she began to kiss up and down his jaw line, turning him so that he was beneath her and easier to reach.

The hot, searing kisses and her hands as they traveled, ghosting his nipples, making them taut and sensitive were making Shadow writhe and wonder how she even knew how to make him feel like this.

"Goddesses," he whispered, "how do you know to do all this? Please tell me you haven't done this before."

She smirked. "Of course not, but I did experiment a few times on myself. After I educated myself, I was curious. So, well, you know what happened. You've probably done it before." To tell the truth, he had. As hormones had taken him during the early stages of puberty, there were times when the discomfort he was feeling was too much.

"A few times. I can see why you'd be so curious." Another smirk. She pulled away from his kiss-bruised face and moved to his right nipple, the saliva sending his nerves into a skyrocket of stars. By now his pants were getting far too tight, but at least Victoria had noticed.

"Excited already? I was hoping to draw this out more."

"I'll walk you through it," he said, gasping, "Unless you'd rather just use your hands?" She stopped for a moment. Obviously she hadn't thought this far. "We can stop. I can go to the bathroom and–" "Shh!"

She held a finger to his lips. "No. I will see this through."

Shadow never could remember ever feeling what she'd made him feel that night. And as they lay in new, clean sheets, and he clad in a new pair of pants, he didn't think he'd ever forget that particular night, either.

* * *

I said _lime_ didn't I? Yes. Nothing really graphic, but it was implied, I suppose. Does that make it an, 'M' rating? You decide, because I'm having difficulty discerning the line between 'T' and 'M' with such subtlety involved.

I do hope you liked it, though. And though she's still a child in many ways, her mentality is fast changing. So perhaps her need for him can be justified under a similar rule. I hoped to balance her need with Shadow's reluctance to take her innocence and his value of it, not taking it before marriage (he's very old fashioned, Shadow is, because you know, Ganon did love him at one point and taught him good foundations, and I guess they stuck) and all that good stuff. He also cares about how others might see her if they did have relations with one another before marriage and that, I think is something else that balances it, even if it's more implied than outright said.

With all that covered, I would appreciate a review or so. You don't have to, it would just you know, be nice to get one. :)


	7. Shadow Temple

Chapter Seven: Shadow Temple

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 7

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Plain n simple.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to 's Notes-

The Shadow Temple. Cool. This is so awesome, it's all coming together! I think I'll probably finish this in oh… six or seven more chapters.

* * *

It was early the next morning when they spotted Link walking through the town, the Lens, or Eye, of Truth in his right hand.

"Please note," he said through gritting teeth, "that I do not like ghosts. Also, given the chance, I _will_ run you over to get away from one." Victoria couldn't help but laugh. "I'm so sorry," she said through a hand over her mouth, "I can't help it!"

Link shook his head as Shadow looked sympathetically at his hikari.

When they got to the graveyard, Link played the song, and it carried them to the area just beyond the fence they couldn't reach.

Shadow thought, he could've, if only to himself.

"Do you still have my dagger?" he asked Victoria as Link preformed Din's Fire to light the torches. She nodded, and this time he noticed she was in a full Shiekah garb. She noticed him looking, and she fingered with the very tips of the suit.

"Impa left me this. If you ask me I rather like it." He smiled gently, his eyes – now blue again – sparkling. "I think it looks nice. And, keep the dagger. I'm no good with it anyway."

She studied it, the different jewels reminding her of the key she'd wished on.

"It's made for throwing, not fighting. I can only guess why you wouldn't like it." She smirked. "You're terrible at throwing things." He shook his head, chuckling. "Got me there." Link looked like he was finished, so Shadow pushed himself off of the wall and walked over. Victoria picked up her new bow and quiver, brimming with arrows. Dagger hidden away in the folds of her clothing, and a visible magical aura surrounding her, she looked very much like someone you didn't want to mess with.

So they entered the temple, coming face to face with an illusion right off the bat.

"Um…" "…that's not a wall, Link. Take a look."

He flashed the Lens, finally seeing the wall ahead of them for what it was. "Oh, so that's how this thing works." She nodded. "But the chasm in front of us is real. You'll need the Longshot for that, unless Shadow can conjure up a bridge of shadows."

Shadow frowned. "I could, but it would take up a lot of energy. We'll have to use the Hookshot, the both of us." He shook his darker glamour and grinned. "We wouldn't want to trouble the Hero's back, now would we?"

Link groaned. "Not you too…" Then he shot off, hanging on the edge before bringing himself up.

Victoria clung to Shadow, her fingers practically digging into his flesh through the cloth. "Not so hard, love," he choked. "Sorry," she whispered, lessening her grip only slightly. "I'm just not fond of… that kind of darkness."

He could practically feel her fear though her bindings.

"I'll catch you. I promise." He shot off, swinging over the edge instead of into the wall. Once they felt safe, they proceeded to the next room.

"'Make my beak face the skull of truth.' So, do they mean the real one or the fake one?" Victoria read in the inscription on the stone bird's pushing pillar, slightly amused. "And what happens if you get it wrong?"

"I don't think I want to know," Shadow interjected, "and really, all you need to do is 'look' at the skulls. It's quite obvious then." She smirked. Her ability to see through the illusions was getting stronger, and she'd already seen through this particular one quicker than Link could even turn on the Lens.

They solved the riddle and obtained the Hover Boots (mostly for Link, as Shadow knew the Temple had been designed partly as a Shiekah training ground and would be of little trouble to Victoria and himself) and then they jumped (Link hover-walked) into the next area.

PFFT! Ssss…

"Ah, Link?" Link cleared his throat. "Yes?" There was a quick brushing sound, and then Victoria's laughter. "Aim next time, will you?" Link attempted to hide his own laughter.

"Will do, Shadow." Shadow, covered in soot but pretty much intact, coughed and shook off the soot with a little magical interference.

"Where to, Hero?" Link, ignoring the name for the moment, pulled out the map he'd found along with the hover boots. "Well it says there's three ways out of here, but…" His Lens, which Victoria had taken the liberty of transfiguring into a sort sling to fit over his head (1) and over one eye, flashed. "I don't see the third entrance."

"Maybe we have to bomb it." Victoria mused, staring at it, arms crossed. "So why don't you two go in each door, Shadow, my right, Link, my left, and then come back with the spoils?" One could almost hear the grin in her voice.

"I'll stay here and make sure the Beamos doesn't grow back."

Shadow nodded. "Sounds like a plan. All right, see you on the other side!" He laughed before grabbing Link's shoulder and whispering, "Don't die on me, got it? I don't have the courage to kill the man myself." Link could hear the joke in his voice, but also the sheer truth. He didn't need the Lens to see through that illusion.

When they came back (at the same time, somehow) Link was covered in several cuts – and there was a rather large gash in the back of Link's tunic – and Shadow's tan had reverted to a cold, white pallor.

"Um…" Victoria trailed off, not wanting to ask.

"Just repair my tunic and forget you ever saw anything, okay?" Link was flushing deeply, his mind fast-forwarding to what was to come. Victoria, stifling as many giggles as possible, waved her hand and snapped, the material stitching itself back together.

"That wasn't so painful, yes?" Still, Link's cheeks remained stained with red. She turned to Shadow. "Now what happened to you?" Shadow hung his head. "Mummies. You… _really_ don't want to know."

He handed Link the compass he'd found after the remaining wall had been blown up. "I believe this is yours?" Link nodded, taking it from his hands and stuffing it into his hat. They walked down into the darkness for a long while until Link cried out in surprise.

"Damn! I hate these things!" He slashed at the Skullatua and it disappeared, but the burn on the underside of Link's thigh was quickly festering beneath the cloth. "Just drink some milk and you'll be fine… and I didn't know you could scream like that." Shadow grinned as he dodged a poorly aimed punch.

"That wasn't funny…" Still, Shadow grinned.

They proceeded further, whacking Skullatua as they fell. When they came to a bunch of guillotines, Victoria whistled.

"Did the Shiekah want their students to die or what?" Shadow shook his head. "No, they wanted to make sure they were good enough." She tilted her head. "So they were only good enough if they lived?" He shrugged. "Pretty much."

She grimaced, but followed them, careful not to get cut.

When they came to what seemed to be the main room, Link stopped short.

"What? Something wro–Link, look out!"

Link jumped out of the way just before the wall master came down on him, Shadow slashing it before it could jump back up. "I hate those too," Link muttered breathlessly, trying to catch his breath again. "You hate pretty much everything that wants to kill you, Link," Shadow intonated sarcastically, "you just hate certain things more than others."

Link thought it over and then nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

They flew past the next set of guillotines and were stopped at the end of the barrage by a single Stalfos. Since it was three against one, it was hardly fair (for the Stalfos) but it made up for it by coming back to life, not once, but twice, leaving the three adventurers sweaty and out of breath.

"Things don't know when to stay dead," Shadow spat, flinging sweat from his brow. "Yeah, yeah, let's keep moving. We need to head left from this wall here to…" Link blinked, activating the Lens. "Ah. To these platforms."

They jumped from platform to platform until they reached the next door. The next room was empty, with the exception of a Shield Eater at the end of the room. "It can't be this easy," said Link, putting a hand to his right hip. Victoria shook her head. "It isn't. Just look." Link did, and then blanched.

"Crap. This was in that room from before…" Victoria giggled. "The one that nearly cut your arse in half?" Link reddened considerably. "Yeah, that one." She grinned. "Well I'll handle this then."

It didn't take her very long to torch the Shield Eater and track down the three elusive bats that hung around the room. "Hardly hard at all," she said as they picked up the rupees and arrows from the chests they unlocked. "Yeah," said Shadow, whacking the Gold Skullatua for its precious coin, "and hardly worth the trip."

"Hey," Link said, offended, "there were chests on the map! You never know if it's a key in that chest or something… well, arrows aren't really useless…" Victoria nodded, taking them up.

"Yeah, I used a good bit of mine up hunting those bats. Seems like I need a bit more practice." She refilled her quiver and handed Link the leftovers, which he stuck in his hat. "I still can't get over that thing," Shadow said as they jumped back to where they fought the Stalfos. "Like I said, I don't know how the magic works, I just know that it does. And that, strangely, I never seem to lose whatever I put in there…" Shadow couldn't argue with that as they stepped onto the rising platform.

"So we just jump from here?" "Yeah." "Shit." "No, you do that after you jump." "Not funny Victoria."

She laughed as they clasped hands and jumped blindly, trusting Victoria's sense of direction and sheer luck. It was a miracle to Shadow that they landed where they wanted to, and that they didn't trip on the spike traps that spun around the Beamos that Link actually blew up on the first try.

When they collected the last silver rupee, they entered the next room.

"Ceiling spike traps. Now that one's new." Victoria scoffed. "Quit joking and help me pull out this block will you?" They pulled out the disguised block in the wall and pushed it under both traps. They then plundered the chests and pots in the immediate area.

"Always my favorite part," Link hummed, "you know, plundering."

Victoria laughed as they pulled the block as far as it would go and climbed up. Shadow got the key, and Victoria stepped on the switch, which stopped the moving traps. "Virtually useless. I doubt this helped the self-esteem of whoever got to do this room." (2)

Link shrugged. "It happens. Let's just keep moving."

They went back into the main room and jumped onto more invisible platforms to the north of the door they just exited.

"I would also like to note that I'm not fond of these stupid invisible moving platforms!" Link looked almost livid. Shadow shied away from him by stepping comically to the left. "Something vexes thee?" Link just glared at him. Victoria giggled silently as they unlocked the door and moved on.

"Invisible spikes. I'm beginning to see a pattern here…" "Shut it, Shadow."

Victoria shook her head. "You know, you could just hand me the Longshot and I'll get those silver rupees in no time." Link and Shadow shared a look.

"Sure."

It was a simple puzzle, like the one before. She liked puzzles. Sure it was a little repetitive but it was easy. It just looked hard. She did a couple jumps, getting used to the feel, making it look harder than it really was, making a show of it. By the time she'd finished, the ReDeads she'd torched had left a chest, which Link opened and was waiting patiently for her to stop showing off.

"Okay, we get it, it wasn't that hard. We're just lazy. We admit it." Shadow looked confused. "Wait, who said anything about a 'we'?" Victoria laughed she handed the Longshot (which she hadn't even really used) back to Link.

They retrieved the key from the next room that opened the door to the next room (or rather, the hallway of impossible fans) that Victoria hated, because it turned her hair into a big ball of fluff, which she had to bind and tuck under her clothes and hat.

"You look like Sheik now," Link teased, "without the cowl and the blond hair, at least." She nodded, a sarcastic expression on her face that said, 'get a move on already' several times over.

They finally exited the hallway of impossible fans when they were blown into a hallway that led to a door with lots of cool stuff, so Shadow put it.

"What? It has mummies, pots, _and_ stuff to blow up! It's every adventurers dream!" Victoria snorted. "Yeah, all rolled up into one room. Yes, it's _very_ cool." Shadow laughed as Link killed off the mummies and blew up the rocks that held the key to the next room.

The next room had a really big, scary looking boat that Shadow didn't trust. Immediately he stiffened as he entered, seriousness taking over the joking manner he'd had all the time they'd been in the temple. Victoria didn't trust it either, particularly since it gave off really bad vibes that were messing with her senses.

They got on the boat, seeing as there was no other way to proceed. They had thought about swimming in the 'river' but Victoria pointed out the fact that it wasn't really a river at all.

"Well, it is a river, but not a physical one. It's like a river of souls, and we'll die if we fall in, because only souls can travel the river without the boat." Neither Link nor Shadow wanted to ask how she knew that. Come to think of it, she hardly knew herself.

_Must be Cronos telling me these things,_ she thought as Link began playing the royal family's melody. Suddenly the ship began moving in a most uncomfortable way, and two Stalfos attacked them, almost making them miss being able to jump the ship before it fell into the river.

Shadow looked very green when they checked each other for any injuries.

"If you need to blow chunks, the dead river behind you would be your best bet," Victoria said rubbing his back in gentle circles. Her touch was very soothing to him, and his green pallor quickly faded.

"No, I'm all right. I just wasn't expecting the boat to move like that." A faded grin slid onto his lips, and she kissed him quickly on the cheek, nuzzling it with her nose before leaving to cross to bridge Link had made from a fallen statue.

"Hey wait… don't we need the Boss Key?" Link stopped short, and looked at a door across the bridge. "Uh, you wait here. I'll go get it."

And he ran off before either of them could say anything.

They found a spot on the wall and sat, side by side. "This is interesting. You know, fighting like this. Exploring the temple." Victoria put her hands behind her head. "I suppose. It's better than the last temple." He grimaced. "That was a fiasco." She shrugged, and turned to him, tracing the lines of his chin with a finger.

"You're still on about that? It wasn't your fault, Shadow…" She kissed his lips chastely, and then again, a bit longer. "What matters is here, now…"

"I got it!"

She looked over at Link as he crossed. "And the funny moments." She stood up. "Now come on; we have a beast to slay." Shadow grasped her hand and stood up as Link arrived holding the key. "Had to fight a few floor masters, but them I can handle. Wasn't so hard."

And finally, they crossed the chasm of the next room and into the boss's lair.

Once the door closed they found themselves in a small room with a circle in the middle, most likely leading down to where the boss waited.

"I don't look forward to this one," Shadow muttered. "As it insists on hiding."

"Hiding? More like burrowing. Now come on, it's not going to slay itself." And she jumped down without hesitation. "Victoria!"

Shadow jumped after her, and Link, feeling rather left out, followed.

They landed on a very bouncy surface, one that Victoria felt was odd and rough. Kind of like…

"A drum! Shit!" Shadow got up and turned to her. "What? A drum?" Link got up now. "What does that mean for…" Link nearly blanched pure white as he caught sight of the monster. "Crap." And then it disappeared; beating on the drum and making them loose their traction.

"This is what I meant!" Victoria cried, her magic hot and angry. "I saw the beast before it threw me; this is where it can do the most damage-Shadow!" One of the still visible hands slapped Shadow sideways, but didn't send him into the acid that surrounded the drum. _He could've landed there, though. I have to set up a perimeter…_

She summoned her staff and concentrated, a bright ring of light shining around the edge of the drum. "Now we won't fall into the acid." She grinned, making her staff disappear and drawing her bow.

"Link! The hands are the weak point! I need you to take you bow and shoot the right one! I'll take left!" She ran to Shadow who, though a little shaken, was not seriously hurt, though he could've been. "Shadow, can you stand?" He got up, and drew his sword.

"I need you to hit the eye of the monster once we bring it down. The master sword would be best, but since you don't have a bow, your sword will have to do. You get what I'm saying?"

Shadow nodded. "And I'll try to distract it so that you can concentrate on shooting. You still got those fairies?" "Link has them." "Good."

"Wait, Shadow!" She face palmed herself. "Damn you…"

She ran over to Link. "Looks like Shadow wants to play hero for us so we can bring it down. How… wonderful." Link knew that through her spiteful comments, she was just worried. "Let's bring it down quickly. I don't want to stay in here much longer… otherwise I'll lose the lunch I had back in that other time…"

This conversation went on as they shot the hands, bringing them down and then the monster itself as Shadow got in a few whacks and then backed away as it recovered. This went on for sometime (Victoria being grasped by one of the hands and squeezed and then thrown against her own shield) but there were no serious injuries by the time Shadow gave his last thrust into the creature and it returned to the shadows from whence it came.

Before Link could step into the blue light, something a sliver of white and blue, appeared before Victoria and Shadow.

"Tha…nks…She…ikah."

And then it disappeared. "I guess it just wanted to say thanks for being freed. Perhaps the spirit can finally be at peace." Shadow nodded, not saying anything. She turned to him and saw that out of the three of them, he was the most bloodied up. Cuts everywhere, some bleeding freely some not. He wasn't bruised or anything, not like Victoria, who was battered, but not bleeding. His sword was soaked, too, but that could be cleaned.

"Come on, let's go. We can rest a night before we set of for the next temple."

Shadow turned to her, and with Link, they walked into the blue light.

.oOo.

Link expected to be alone when he arrived at the Chamber of Sages.

But this time, he stood in front of Victoria and Shadow, who were holding hands tightly. Victoria knew where they were – somehow. Shadow didn't really care where they were, as long as Victoria was with him.

But they all stood in front of Lady Impa, the smiling vigilant attendant Link remembered from that day in the courtyard.

"The boy with the noble Zelda's Ocarina...As I expected, you have come. I remember you. You were just a boy, then. But you aren't anymore, are you?"

Link shook his head. "No. Not anymore. I've got blood on my hands. I can't go back to being a kid like this. Even going back for that short time to obtain the Lens of Truth was difficult."

She nodded, understanding. "I am also Princess Zelda's caretaker, and the Sage who guards the Shadow Temple. We Sheikah have served the royalty of Hyrule from generation to generation as attendants. However..." she eyes Victoria warily. "We were diminishing. You had hoped my father would unite the nomad tribes, but, well…" Impa nodded.

"Yes. I had my hopes for your father. He would have united them, I believe, had he the chance. On that day seven years ago, Ganondorf suddenly attacked... and Hyrule Castle surrendered after a short time. Ganondorf's target was one of the keys to the Sacred Realm... the hidden treasure of the Royal Family... the Ocarina of Time! My duty bound me to take Zelda out of Ganondorf's reach." Her eyebrows furrowed.

"And just before that, he pillaged my village and destroyed your father's chance for peace." She sighed.

"But now I see that you, Link, have become a fine hero... there's nothing to worry about. The Princess is safe now. Soon, you'll meet Princess Zelda face-to-face, and she will explain everything. That is when we, the six Wise Ones, will seal up the Evil King and return peace to Hyrule. I have to stay here... You go to Princess Zelda's side and protect her on my behalf. Now I put my power, which should be helpful to you, into this Medallion!"

And so Link received the Medallion and felt the familiar surge of power flow through him before everything faded to white.

"Please look out for the Princess!" was all he heard before his head spun.

And suddenly, there they were, standing in the graveyard, the perpetual rain no longer pelting the ground, and the skies were clearing, the night sky shining through.

"Wow. What time was it when we left? Morning?" Shadow was amazed. "I don't even feel hungry…" Link shrugged. "It's something the Temples do to you, I think."

"Mmm." Victoria just stood there, staring at the sky.

"You think we should go get cleaned up and get some sleep before tomorrow?" They both looked at her, and then themselves. "Yeah. I think even I have to admit I need a bath." Shadow grimaced. "All this blood is getting sticky and dry…"

She chuckled smoothly. "Well come on. There's two baths at my father's house. We'll take turns."

Link smiled. He looked forward to sleeping in a bed for once.

* * *

(1) Think of Alastor Moody's mechanical eye except on the other side and looks kind of like the Eye of Truth.

(2) I forget what that particular switch does. So in my story it does this. :D

I've got a rough sketch on how the rest of the story is going to go. Once summer hits, I hope to finish this thing and say my life's work is complete! XD


	8. Gerudo Fortress

Chapter Eight: Gerudo Fortress

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 8

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: (holds up several video games) I own these and not much else.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

I thought perhaps changing the name might help get some more reviews. I've been pretty much going on my own steam here, so… yeah. I mean, one review is better than none, but… I'd like to know if you like it or not. Well, I hope you like the next installment anyway.

**EDIT:** Grammar and whatnot.

* * *

The next morning brought a sunshine the likes the townspeople hadn't seen since the Royal Family still ruled.

"It's so beautiful!" Anju exclaimed. Victoria smiled to herself as she watched. Din, she loved this town. She'd grown up (not in the past seven years, but it felt like it nonetheless) in this town and since Impa was gone and her father was missing, she was its leader now.

Link and Shadow were rebinding their wounds back at her father's house, so she just stood behind Anju and overlooked her work from afar. She sensed someone behind her and turned to find Sheik.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Sheik. Good morning." She had changed into a clean set of Shiekah garments, editing the suit to her pleasure. Still, it wasn't that much different than Sheik's garb, but the colors were a little more solid, the breast band around her chest nice and tight. Hair free flowing, not bound and stuffed into her clothing like it had been in the Shadow Temple, she looked more like a warrior missing her armor instead of a proper Sheikah.

"Good morning, Princess." Victoria frowned. She wasn't fond of her title – either of them – as much as Link wasn't fond of being called Hero. "Which one are you referring to?" she asked quietly, the sun filtering through her hair.

"Whichever you are more partial to." The frown morphed into a scowl.

"Neither, really, but if I had to answer I would say my mother's former title." Sheik's eyes flashed; a sign of recognition. "Time Keeper, isn't it, Princess?" She nodded slowly. "Yes. You know, I can't figure you out. I could order you to remove your cowl, but…" she shook her head. "It wouldn't seem right."

"That's right," said Sheik calmly, "you could. But you won't. Your curiosity wants to believe in the illusion that you know I am." Victoria sighed. "But you're real. I can feel your sun and moon energy shining in your core. It's just… the balance is strange."

She looked up at the sky and then turned around. "If you would leave me to my thoughts, please. We should be leaving for the desert soon."

She could practically hear Sheik smile through his cowl. "Of course. I'll see you there." And then the snap of a Deku Nut pierced the air and then Sheik's aura vanished from of her immediate range. "Damn Sheikah…why do we have to be so mysterious?"

"Cursing your heritage?" Victoria gave a start. "Oh, Shadow, it's just you… don't do that. You seem to be the only one who can..." Shadow walked up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Relax. You don't have to be alert constantly."

She frowned, her lips pursing.

"But what if it's Ganon sneaking up on me? Or one of his creatures?" Shadow shook his head. "No. Even though your magical senses are still developing, you would know if it were Ganon or one of his brainwashed creatures. There's a certain darkness about them you can't ignore…" Now it was Shadow's turn to frown. "Like mine."

Before Victoria could say anything, Link arrived.

"Hey! You two lovebirds ready to go yet?" There was this silly grin on his face that Victoria couldn't tell whether it was from red potion endorphins or simply just Link being his over optimistic self. "Hmm. Perhaps," Victoria quipped slyly, turning around, "or perhaps not."

"Ahh! Not those riddles again!" Link folded his arms, looking very annoying. Victoria couldn't help but laugh.

They left the town with the people cheering them on.

"I'll try to keep them quiet," said Anju as they left, "so we don't attract any attention. It's just… this village has had hard times since the leader went missing." Victoria nodded. She knew what they meant.

"The desert is northwest of Lake Hylia," Shadow informed them, "but that's a long way from here. If we can get some horses at Lon Lon Ranch we might be able to make it to the Fortress by dark." They were now walking along the path to the ranch. "How do you know so much, Shadow?" Victoria asked, "You said Ganondorf never let you out of the castle."

Shadow grimaced.

"He didn't. I snuck out. That's what started the beatings in the first place. Perhaps if I hadn't been so stubborn…" He shook his head. "Whatever. It can't be changed now. Let's just keep going."

Shadow's mind was thinking ahead, remembering things from his past when they still lived in the desert.

"_At night, this is what we do to travelers that just so happen to pass through our part of Hyrule." Nabooru was his favorite out of all the Gerudo Thieves. She always made the gruesome things that they did fun._

_She let him watch as her battalion attacked a caravan and took the men and precious goods. If there were any females, they were killed on the spot unless they could prove themselves worthy. "Hey, what do they take the men for?" Shadow asked her once. _

_She just chuckled and waved the question away. "I won't tell 'till you're older, kid. Sorry. I don't want to scar you for life."_

He didn't learn until much later exactly what they did with the men – used them in that particular way and then killed them – and even now it seemed the furthest thing from his mind.

'_I hope they remember me,'_ he thought as they entered the ranch, _'otherwise… I don't even want to think about it.' _He shuddered. "Something wrong, Shadow?" Victoria looked back, seeing the look on his face. He shook his head. "Not really. We just have to be careful going into the Fortress at night. The Gerudo… don't take kindly to strangers."

Victoria turned away, knowing more or less what he was thinking of.

"So we can have Epona and Midnight?" Malon nodded. "You don't even have to use the rent-a-service! It seems a shame giving away part of my dowry, but…" She winked at Shadow and Victoria. "I think my father will manage. They never really fit in with the other horses anyway."

Link smiled. "Thanks, it means a lot to me." Pause. "What's a dowry again?"

Malon waved a finger. "It's the inheritance a girl gets from her mother when she marries." Link went red in the face. "W-Well you're cute and all…" She nodded. "Yeah. Same here. You're rugged and handsome, but every time someone mentions the Princess you get those googly eyes. Yes! Those!"

Link blushed. "But I only saw her a couple times… when we were little."

Malon laughed uproariously. "Sometimes that's all it may take, fairy boy!" He gulped and then scowled at her childhood name for him. Navi fluttered out of his hat, bouncing up and down in her mirth. "Does everyone else see it besides me?" Victoria tilted her head with a clueless smile. "See what?"

Then she laughed.

"We should get moving soon. The day's already half done!"

So, grumbling and snickering, Link hopped on Epona and Shadow took Midnight with Victoria sitting behind him in the saddle. Midnight was a strong horse and could carry them easily, though the trek still took good while. It was twilight when they arrived at the entrance to the valley.

"I think we should stay here tonight," Shadow said hesitantly, "proceeding further might only result in us getting caught and thrown in the Gerudo jail…" In truth, though, they only put men in the Gerudo jail in the day. They waited until night to do their bidding with their spoils. If they were caught now, they wouldn't even have the option of jail.

"There's enough light to see by. We can sneak past them at the gate. You said there was a gate, right?" Shadow stopped the horse momentarily. "What's wrong?" Victoria asked, looking past his left shoulder.

"We may be walking into a trap, just so he knows…" Victoria smiled, clearly embarrassed if you could see it. "He never listens when he's hot on the trail. I should have told you that." Shadow face palmed himself for his ignorance. "We're connected, magically; I should have known otherwise…" There was silence.

"Damn."

He spurred the horse on across the little wooden bridge and over the gap in the river. Victoria, clinging to Shadow's middle, let out a shaky breath, her left eye twitching.

"Don't do that again… without telling me, at least." He managed a bitter smile before guiding Midnight near Epona, where Link sat talking to a man standing in front of a tent.

"…would you mind finding out what my workers are doing over there?"

Link nodded, turning to Shadow.

"This man says that his workers left him to join the Gerudo thieves. They were carpenters, but they didn't like it so…" he looked warily at the deeper end of the valley. "They left, apparently." Shadow's face twisted in restrained anger. "We'll be lucky to find them alive by morning. If they were, ah, considered at all."

Shadow cleared his throat and Victoria blushed hotly. "So that's what they do to the men they capture?" she asked him quietly. He nodded. "And then they kill them afterwards. There's a reason they're a group of _female_ thieves."

They chose to proceed, if only for the sake of saving the carpenters. Shadow went ahead of Link, listening intently for any sign of the Gerudo. He stopped suddenly, and Link stopped shortly after. "Why are we stopping?" Link whispered. "Shh!" Shadow hissed. "Quiet!" They trotted just a little further, and then Shadow met the sparkling eyes of a thief.

"Get them!" "Dammit…"

Light surrounded them, and Link drew his sword. "Put it down, idiot. We're only going to kill you after we're done with you. Same as the carpenters."

The voice came from beyond the flame-bringers who were behind the archers with flaming arrows. How had they mobilized so quickly? "Please," Shadow pleaded hotly, desperately trying to keep the anger out of his voice, "we need to see Nabooru." The voice from before scoffed.

Then a figure came out of the darkness. She wasn't masked like the others, and she wore white clothing instead of purple. Shadow recognized her as Nabooru's second.

"Namali!" he exclaimed, "You must remember me!"

She studied at him skeptically, and then blinked, backing away in surprise. "You! Ganon's boy!" She looked around at the poised warriors, waving her hand. "It's all right. I give them a full pass. This is Shadow; I think some of you might remember him from a few years back."

They backed off, some exclaiming in recognition.

Namali waved them forward. "Please, dismount your horses, we'll take them to the stables and take very good care of them this night." She paused. "Unless you've come for some reason other than to play catch-up with Nabooru."

Shadow nodded after they'd dismounted. "Yes. We've come to enter the desert. We need to get to the Colossus." Namali frowned. "Well you won't be going there in the night; the river of sand is far too dangerous in the day! And I doubt you would be able to see the extra outposts we've had to put up in the sand to get to the third trial…"

Shadow seemed uneasy. "Well come on boy, we don't have all night. There are some things you need to know anyway; things about the desert."

They came to a cozy section of the Fortress, and sat down around the table Namali had set. Now it was Link's turn for unease. "Why are you being so… accommodating?" He asked hesitantly. "Because you're with Shadow. And even that may not be enough if you keep asking such things. Anything else?" Victoria sat straighter and cleared her throat softly.

"If you could free the carpenters, that would be nice, too."

Namali blinked. "Now who are you?" She narrowed her eyes dangerously. "You've got some nerve asking me to give up prisoners. Whiny prisoners, but prisoners nonetheless." Victoria frowned, her body instinctively leaning into Shadow's.

"She's with us. And please, if you would. Your soldiers destroyed the bridge, and I'd like to walk across the ravine instead of jumping it with the horse."

Namali studied the way Shadow leaned over the girl protectively and how the girl, fiercely quiet and determined but unafraid, clung to him. When it clicked, she shook her head, smiling. "Very well, boy. You know, I never thought you the type to fall for anyone. You're Ganon's boy after all."

At this, Shadow's expression changed in a way she didn't think it ever could.

"Hurry back, Namali. There are some things we need to tell you as well." When she left, Link started talking. "Why didn't you warn me we were going to get caught?" Shadow rolled his eyes. "I did." Link, feeling rather sheepish, blinked. "Oh."

Namali returned.

"The carpenters will be released in the morning." She sat down, crossing her legs. "So, what is it you have to tell me, hmm?" Shadow's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not Ganon's son. I never was, by blood at least."

If this surprised Namali, she didn't show it. "I had expected as such. Even though you've darkened considerably from your years here, that old legend always held true for me in the back of my mind. You know, that Gerudo males are only born once every hundred years thing? That. You never seemed to fit the bill."

Shadow nodded. He launched into the story of how Ganon wanted power, the power of the triforce for himself and not just the whole of Hyrule.

"I see. So you seek Nabooru for the simple thought of the possibility she might be the Spirit Sage?" Shadow scoffed. "Can you think of anyone else with more spirit than she?"

Namali sighed. "Well, even if you could get across the desert to the Colossus, you won't find her."

"What's in the desert? It's always been easy for me to get across the river of sand, and I've never needed the outposts to get there. I always went to the Colossus to escape Ganon when he was angry with me. He never thought to look for me there."

Namali shook her head, folding her arms.

"The river grows ever stronger each day. None of us can cross it now. You wouldn't make it past to solid ground, if you can call the sands of the Haunted Wasteland solid."

Shadow huffed cockily. "But suppose we do cross?"

"It doesn't matter. My point is that Nabooru's gone. Not too long after you and Lord Ganondorf left for the castle, she disappeared. Something tells me it was his doing. He never liked her. I've been in command ever since, operating under her name, using her face."

This was news to Shadow.

"She may still be alive. Held captive in the Colossus, probably."

Namali shook her head. "I can see I won't be able to talk you out of this." He nodded, smirking. "I doubt it. You knew that whenever I put myself to something I wouldn't back down."

"Even as a child. You were a stubborn little cuss. You still are; just bigger and older."

Shadow laughed. "I think you can rest here for the night. If you need anything, let me know; I'll be at the gate's guard post." And so they were left alone, not sure what to do with themselves.

"I suppose we should rest?" Victoria suggested.

"It seems the only thing we can do," Link said, looking out the window he sat by. He moved to the bed behind him, as did Victoria and Shadow. "Goodnight Link," she whispered as he covered himself in blankets.

"Night," he whispered back.

"Looks like we have to share," Shadow chuckled softly. "I don't mind," she said, lying against him, her back to his chest. "We do it often enough." He smiled into her hair. "I hope we live through this. Sometimes those trials were difficult. And if the river has been widening like she said…"

"Hush." She whispered sharply. "Don't entertain yourself with such notions. We'll be fine." She brushed a hand over the dagger and felt and energy within it pulse. She held her surprise behind her tongue.

"Don't worry. Just sleep and it'll work out in the morning."

Shadow could only hope she was right.

* * *

Eh… not much there. I was hoping to write more but I'm losing patience and time. It's a school night so I have to post this quick. Sorry for any errors that occur.


	9. The Trials of the Desert

Chapter Nine: The Trials of the Desert

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 9

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: (holds up sign that says, 'I NO OWN!')

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

So, no one took the bait. It doesn't matter, really. I guess this was sort of for personal enjoyment from the start, but it's also for anyone who wants to read it. You wouldn't believe what this story used to be a LONG time ago. It's hardly recognizable now. It was originally an YGO/HP crossover (that I never finished) way back when I had this infatuation with Yugi. Now it's Dark Link, but that seems a little more suitable for the circumstances (and a little more believable).

* * *

When Shadow awoke it was just after dawn. It was a brief awakening, with him knowing he was awake before he even opened his eyes, and he sat up. Somehow – though it baffled him thoroughly on exactly how it might've happened – he found himself without his belt, tunic top, and undershirt, leaving his well-muscled chest bare.

Link was on the bed opposite him, and Shadow could just see him over the table in the middle of the small room, with his arm over the side and drooling into the pillow, lying of course on his stomach.

Link had – he supposed – removed the same garments he was missing, and was clad only in his leggings and pants. As he tried to string his thoughts together, he watched Link sleep. Indeed, he could see why he was once infatuated with the young man; he was beautiful. Handsome.

He had a well-chiseled face, the same muscles Shadow had (from all that fighting, he surmised), and that sun-kissed blond hair that splayed like feathers in every direction. But there was a different feeling that stirred in his heart when he gazed at his lighter half. Comradeship, if he could summarize it as such. A sort of family bonding feeling. Not quite an emptiness so much as a… a wave of admiration. Something along those lines.

But then Shadow realized something else; Victoria wasn't here.

He got up instantly to investigate, but remembered to dress before walking out in front of (whoever was awake at this hour) women half naked. While they wouldn't think certain things about him, he knew a great many would still whistle at the muscles he'd built up. He was already blushing at the mere thought!

Only after he had the pieces of his tunic in the proper places did he venture out to look for her, thanking Din for his insight at dressing before leaving, but obviously keeping the thought to himself.

He asked around, and some had seen her, some hadn't. The Training Ground Gerudo hadn't seen her come into train, but she did think she might've gone to the archery range to practice her shooting. "She's a damn good fighter," said the Gerudo, "I wouldn't put it past her to shoot well too."

So that's where Shadow went.

Gallop! Gallop!

Shadow's long ears swiveled toward the sound coming from the range. Someone was definitely there, though he wasn't sure if it was Victoria.

"Yah!"

His ears shot up. That was her voice. She was here! He broke from his jog into a quick, bolting run, hoping to get a glimpse of her on a horse. Sure, she'd been on a horse before, alone, but not when he was around.

He arrived brilliantly at the entrance, stepping through shadow with grace and care. When he caught sight of the dust trail the horse had left behind, he stopped. From here he could see her, her hair unbound, flying flames incarnate, a bow held skillfully in her hands.

She looked amazing.

In her reality, however, she was just barely making her cut. She hit nearly every target at least twice, and shot all the pots, all the while, directing and spurring the horse on with just her legs.

At the end of her run, she was sweaty, but it was a good sweat, touched by the cool morning breeze that wafted through the still-in-shadow range.

"You're really good, girl," the Archery Gerudo complimented, "I don't think you ever really lost your touch; you just needed to feel the bow in your hands again. Sometimes that's all you really need, you know?" Victoria nodded. She felt the same way. The feeling of the cool wood in her hands, partially bandaged or not, was unfamiliar at first, but gradually fell back into her usual pattern from when she was a child.

Suddenly there was a clapping from the entrance, and Victoria caught a familiar aura before she turned.

"Ah!" she smiled, recognizing it at last, "Shadow! It's good that you're up! Is Link with you?" Shadow shook his head. "No. Still sleeping. But, if you ask me, he deserves it, with all that he does.

"That was beautiful by the way, what you did just now."

She blushed fiercely, her right hand jumping to her face to try to cover it. "Please, I'm not… well, I didn't mean…" After a few unsuccessful tries, she gave up.

Then she out her hand back down and smiled weakly.

Shadow, thoroughly amused now, shook his head with a smile on his face. "You know, it's okay to take a little praise every now and then." He walked closer, their chests only a foot away from the other. The Archery Gerudo (who he was pretty sure was called Pashli) eased away, grinning and holding back snickers.

Neither of them cared to notice.

"You're so beautiful, Victoria, do you know that?" She didn't blush this time. She just stared into his eyes – which had changed back to blue from the red they'd been only a moment ago – with a ghost of a secret smile glistening on her lips. "You're so beautiful," he went on, "I can't say much more than that. You make me feel like a actually deserve you; more like a person and less like the animal I used to be treated like." He stopped to take a few breaths, but when he wanted to continue, he found he could only say, "Well? Say something."

The ghost of a smile grew. "Why say something, when one act in particular is so much sweeter?" With that, she closed the gap between them and then first rays of the sunlight to make their way into the range shone upon their tender kiss.

Victoria slid her hands over his shoulders and around his neck, interlinking their fingers so she all but hung from his neck to keep her standing. "We should go back," Shadow whispered into her hair, "the day of the desert may be hot and dry, but it's short this time of year. And if the river is as bad as Namali says it is, we need to get moving." A pause. They broke away, only slightly. "And we need to wake Link if he isn't up already."

She smiled.

They met him as he came out of the room they'd been staying in, dressed and with the rest of their belongings in his hat.

"I suppose the both of you are ready?" he asked them, "I've had something to eat already, so if either of you haven't…" Shadow's stomach growled. "I haven't," he muttered guiltily, "but I don't think I'll need much. Just some thick bread will do I think." Link dug in his hat and tossed him a wrist-to-elbow length loaf littered with desert spices. Shadow inhaled it quickly.

When they approached the gate, Namali greeted them.

"I still don't have a chance of talking you out of this?" She asked as they approached. Shadow shook his head. "Sorry, no. How bad is it out there anyway?" Namali clapped for the gate to be raised. As it did so, Namali looked out at the desert.

"It looks nice and calm now, but once you get past the river, if you get past it at all, the wind picks up immensely and you can hardly see. It's like it's fueled by magic." Victoria frowned.

"It very well might be," she muttered absently, her eyes focused on the distant sand, "preventing would-be heroes from reaching the Temple." Namali looked back at the Sheikah. "Or perhaps the temple itself is trying to keep others away," she continued, "and only the true heroes will make it through to safety." Namali chuckled. "You amaze me, Sheikah, you really do. And perhaps you're right. I just hope that the three of you are these heroes. Not being able to go to the Colossus to perform our water rituals and such has been taxing on us." Victoria nodded. "I understand.'

And without another word, they stepped into the desert.

"You mentioned three trials," Link said as they stood at the banks of the river, "what are they?"

"There are actually only two, but the poles just beyond this river are sometimes like a third trial in themselves. The first is this river of sand, which, now that I'm looking at it, truly is a powerful force." His eyes narrowed as he studied it. "It's never been a particularly fast river because, well, it's sand. But it's not completely made of sand. Down below, if you know where to enter, is the real river. Somehow, the sand on the top drags you down, and once you get past the layer of sand, you're in the water and you're done for. Unless you can find the entrance to the other side of the sand. It isn't that hard if you have a good, full store of air in your lungs, or a Zora's tunic, you can make it pretty quick because even though it's pitch dark below, the holes given you a column of light to see by."

Link nodded. "So unless we can find some other way to cross above the river, we go under it. Then there are the poles. We should hold hands or link something to keep us together. That way if we end up back at the start, we're together." Shadow nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

'_Too bad plans don't always go as planned,'_ Victoria thought, an icy feeling of foreboding trickling down her spine.

"And the last trial is the Phantom Guide. A ghost will guide us the rest of the way; provided we keep up and avoid the traps of the desert." Link scoffed. "That sounds fun." Shadow grinned. "It's easier than it sounds, trust me."

The icy feeling strengthened, like somehow she knew it was a lie.

"Let's go," she said icily, "we need to keep moving." Something didn't feel right. "So where's this entrance to the underground river?" Shadow pointed to a watery hole to their left about waist size or bigger. "But I don't know if we'll fit." He studied the boxes at their feet and across the river.

"Hey, do you think the Hookshot could reach those boxes over there?"

Link squinted. "Maybe. But barely." For the first time, Victoria noticed Link was wearing his Goron Tunic, probably to cope with the blistering heat. She found she quite liked it, her element being fire, and Shadow didn't seem to be phased, and acted as he usually did, thinking and guiding Link towards a better decision.

"We should go for it. Or better yet, give me the Longshot and you use your Hover Boots to get across." Link shuffled his gold-feathered feet. "Are you sure that'll work? They only stay above ground for so long…" Shadow waved a finger. "But they're so light the sand won't even know you're walking on it, as long as you keep moving, of course."

Link coughed. "Well that's helpful."

"Let's just do something," Victoria hissed. "Easy, love. We're moving." Link had by now given him the Longshot and was walking across the river, running whenever it slowed down enough to let him, but otherwise moving slowly but surely. He handed it to her.

"Is something wrong, Victoria?" he asked her, his eyebrows furrowing. She frowned. "I don't know. I just know something doesn't feel right. The winds… the sand… it feels wrong. There's bad magic here, I can feel it."

"Well you go ahead. That way if I get stuck in the sand or something you can help fish me out." At this, she scowled. "Don't say that." And then she shot off, landing safely next to Link as he just made it over the edge. Shadow gripped the Hookshot. "This better work," he cursed himself under his breath, hoping this wasn't a time when his stupidity could be fatal.

He aimed at the box to Victoria's left as she stood, poised and watching.

The chain link embedded itself in the wood rather well, but something very _wrong_ lodged itself in his mind. The – suspected but unknown – Sheikah side of him sped up along the link, finding the knot in its well-worn chain. It wasn't made for this. But his mind, though of Shiekah descent, was untrained, and could only interpret the danger as a split-second need for help.

"Victoria!" His cry sounded just as the chain locked and would proceed no further. His body, no longer propelled by the previously moving link sank into the river. _'No…'_ the water under the sand caught his boots, and he clung to the chain with all his might, for his life depended on it. Victoria grasped the chain before it left the wooden box, and was pulling for all her natural strength would let her. She forced pure magic energy into her hands, but it was simply not enough.

They were slipping. Victoria knew she would follow Shadow to death's door if need be. And that, at the moment, was a very possible path.

But Shadow's magic intervened. Though the shadows had little power aboveground in the hot, beating sun, below the river they reigned victorious. They were anxious to save one of the kindest masters they'd ever known, and propelled him onward, though the river was certainly angry at having its prey taken from it.

Victoria sensed the magic from the below the sand, and pulled once more, tugging fiercely with renewed vigor. One last jerk shot Shadow over the edge and into Victoria (landing in a very questionable position) but they were otherwise well and safe.

Once the tendrils had left, Victoria got up and held the tattered Hookshot in her hands.

"It's completely shot. And when I say shot," she said with a half bitter smile, "I'm not referring to what it does. I think it's time to pitch it." With that, she set it aflame, the flecks of the remaining metal disappearing into the winds.

"So what now?" Shadow asked, half arrogantly, grateful that she saved him but irritated that the Hookshot had outlived its usefulness.

Victoria held the Longshot in front of her, and left it levitating in midair. "This," she answered, waving her hands from a crossing motion to an open, inviting one. She concentrated, the spell moving through her mind like thick water, reluctant but persistent, and eventually it broke though. The Longshot began a sort of mitosis, and in mere moments, became two of the same item.

"That would have been so much more useful if we'd been able to do that before," Shadow muttered, staring at the Longshot copy she gave him. "I couldn't have done it before. It's hard conjuring a spell like that, especially when I have to rely on a limited magic source for the necessary instructions. And," she held up a finger, "splitting matter like that is harder with weapons and such than clothing." She flipped a lock of hair that had escaped her binding ponytail out of her face. "Because you have to take other matter and transfigure it into something it wasn't before and all I have to work with here is sand." Shadow looked mildly surprised.

"So you're not really… duplicating it?" Victoria shook her head.

"Not in the way you're thinking of. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it's the same with matter. Now come on, we look like idiots just standing here." She grinned. "It was you after all that said the desert day is a fleeting one, yes?" Shadow scowl at her sharp memory.

Though the sand stung their eyes (in the cases of Link and Shadow, as Victoria used her Sheikah's cowl to protect her) they traversed the poles through Shadow's lead, linking hands, and finally they came to a calm spot where the sandy winds weren't quite so battering, where the second trial, the Phantom Guide, was supposed to be.

"The guide is supposed to keep you from danger, as well as losing your way, so it shouldn't be so hard."

Link acknowledged Shadow's bit of speech with a grunt as they ran up the stone spiral. They came to the octagonal top, which had to one (the north?) side a raised stone slab upon which the words, "One with the eye of truth shall be guided to the Spirit Temple with an inviting ghost," were written.

Link blinked, the Lens of Truth – still in eye-sling form – flashing to reveal the ghost to him.

"I'll be your guide on the way," it said, floating off, "but coming back, I won't play!" They had no choice but to follow it at this point, as it was a fast ghost, and its words rang with a brittle, biting truth. "I'll show you the only way to go, so follow me and don't be slow!"

And then the ghost cackled, amused by their attempts to keep up.

"You didn't happen to mention our guide had a sick sense of humor!" Link shot back as he ran after the ghost.

"I find it rather fascinating it has a sense of humor at all," Victoria said, marveling at it as she ran, "because so few of them do." Shadow chuckled. "I don't think that's what he meant, love." He was only a pace or so behind her.

"Hmm. Doesn't matter. I don't think we'll hit anything bad, really, except for…" "AHH!" She laughed as Link jumped/ran comically out of the way of a couple of Leevers that had appeared out of the sand. "Ah, I hate these things even more than ceiling masters! Dammit…"

She laughed again, a little quieter. "I think you're right about him hating pretty much anything that wasn't to kill him; some more than others."

Shadow laughed. "I'm thinking I should rephrase that to anything that wants to embarrass him in front of either of us." Again, she laughed. The Leevers didn't seem to be bothering them as much as they were Link, but it was still challenging to keep up with the ghost laughing at them all the way to a pair of posts sticking out of the sand.

Then they ran through them as the ghost disappeared. Victoria and Link stopped, looking up at the giant, enormous, awesome stone structure they had arrived at; the Desert Colossus.

"Welcome, my friends," Shadow said dramatically, "to the Spirit Temple."

* * *

This chapter sort of flowed better than the last one. I don't do traveling scenes so well, but I'm making an effort to get better at them, so yeah. And you can tell I'm running out of things to say for the disclaimer, huh? XD


	10. Spirit Temple

Chapter Ten: Spirit Temple

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 10

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: (picks up a daisy) I own this, I don't this. I own this, I don't own this. I own this, I don't... NOOO! (stares angrily at daisy)

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

This is probably going to be one of my longest chapters in this particular story. It has a lot of crucial moments to it, some fighting (it IS a temple chapter, which I don't look forward to but this is where stuff happens and I'm getting better at shortening them up) possibly some blood and gore if you're good… XD

**EDIT: **Grammar edits and details that I added in. More of Victoria's thoughts, really. I'm trying to comb out the issues that I feel she has, the cracks in her character. Once I'm done, though, she should be a much more believable character than she was before, so I think it's all good.

* * *

They didn't have long to admire the creative craftsmanship of the Colossus, as they were attack by more groups of Leevers until they reached solid ground, but Victoria had to admit that it was quite the beautiful structure.

"I do have to admit," Shadow muttered coolly, "Leevers are not my favorite creatures to contend with. Right annoying little buggers."

Victoria giggled.

Link brushed off their conversation as he walked through the hall. He stood still for a just a moment before bending backwards to avoid a pair of moving pots that crashed into the walls. Shadow and Victoria, just having ducked from being hit by the flying projectiles, stood up, staring at him.

"I didn't do it, I swear. They flew by themselves." Shadow gave a scoffing laugh. "And I'll believe it. Things in the Spirit Temple tend to have spirits resting in them, and they aren't always nice." Link raised an eyebrow. "There are nice ones?" Shadow shrugged. "Uh, so I'm assuming. Haven't met one yet. But then the spirits could all be mean ones and there are no nice ones."

Link sighed and shook his head.

Then he walked over to the snake mirrors, reading the tiny, elegant text.

"If you want to travel to the future, you should return here with the power of silver from the past. If you want to proceed to the past, you should return here with the pure heart of a child. Sounds like a riddle for you, my friend."

Victoria frowned. "I don't see why it should be for me. It's so easy. And it applies to _you_. It means that to proceed in the temple, you need to get something from the past and bring it back to the future. It's really quite simple." Shadow grinned. "Yeah. You would've figured it out eventually."

Link scowled, looking back in their general direction and running his fingers through his blond hair.

"I guess I'll go back, then. But… I don't have the song to come back here. I'd never even get into the camp." Something sparked Victoria's magical core, like a twinge. She stiffened. "You felt it, too?" Shadow whispered.

"Yeah."

Dragging Link with them, they ran back out of the temple to see Sheik jumping down from the temple entrance.

"Past, present, future…" he began, "The Master Sword is a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river, and the port for that ship is in the Temple of Time." _'Finally, someone's telling me something straight, here! Well, sort of.'_ Link didn't dare speak this out loud, or he'd break the presence of Sheik that seemed to be little more than a spell.

"To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time's flow. Listen to this Requiem of Spirit, for this is the melody that will lead a child back to the desert."

Victoria was swept with a sudden urge to play something, anything, with her hands. She dug in her magical core for anything, and managed to summon a tiny leaf whistle, the magic flowing easy in her fingers. Shadow, too, caught up in the moment, summoned some small shadow-made panpipes, and played. The music ingrained itself in their minds, fingers, and soul, and carried on as day passed into night.

"This is the last, and yet not the last. Remember me, we will meet again." Sheik's eyebrows, barely visible under a curtain of orange-blond hair, furrowed. "And no, I will not wait this time, Hero. Trust my words, strange as they may seem." And with that, he threw a Deku Nut and disappeared.

The magic of the music still lingered in his eyes as he turned. The moonlight gave Link's blue orbs new life and fire, and as he spoke, there was this strange new air about him you could only place as courage in its purest form. "I'm going. Now. I promise I'll get some sleep later. But I've got to–got to go. I have to."

Victoria nodded. It was really her he was speaking to, since she was their voice of reason; the one that made sure they ate and slept – as soon as possible if they missed a meal or two, or a night of sleep. Link's voice rang with simplicity only truth could ring.

_Telling the truth from the lies… is that a Sheikah thing?_

Even Cronos could give no answers. But the thought itself rang with the same simplicity of Link's statement, so she had to assume it was true. However, by the time she came from her reverie, Link had gone and Shadow had gathered wood for a fire.

"Are you coming?" he asked her, motioning with the bundle of timber towards the foyer of the temple. She blinked. "Oh, yes. Forgive me. I just have a lot on my mind."

Shadow smiled tenderly. "Do enlighten me."

She smiled, but furrowed her eyebrows at the same time. "Everything, really. I wish I could narrow it down. I haven't had time to get used to the powers I've assumed from my mother, my role in the universe, and even the mundane basics of my Sheikah lineage. I know things that are true or false when I hear them, but I don't know why they're true, and then I know all this magic that I didn't before and it's, it's all so… much."

She was looking up at the ceiling of the temple, an exasperated and exhausted expression on her face. The weight of all the magic she'd used in the days past was drawing on her. She really had to be more careful about what she did with it. Shadow dropped the wood down on the right side of the room, near the corner, and walked over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"There now. Don't think about it if it bothers you. Just let things flow. That's how I find it easy to cope with things that are too much for me." His fingers deftly began to massage her shoulders, remembering times when Arthur, his personal servant, had done such things for him when he was stressed. Deftly they located tense spots and relaxed them; undid tough knots and made the neutral spots melt under his touch. "That does feel good," she muttered drowsily. "Whoa, now, don't fall asleep on me. I need you to light the fire."

She casually threw her hand towards the interlaced sticks and the center immediately burst into flame. Internally she winced as a mild throb pulsed in the back of her skull. Carelessness like that was what was making her so tired now. And yet, she realized, she'd have to sacrifice her own comfort if she was to expand her magic properly. Once her mother's magic finally ran its course, then it would be _her_ magic. Until then, she'd just have to settle for sucking it up during the moments pain plagued her and savoring the moments it did not.

Shadow blinked as Victoria settled into his arms, tired and completely worn out. "I suppose the flow is nice. We'll sort it all out once we defeat Ganondorf, right?" Shadow nodded into her hair, sliding them down the wall near the fire slowly. "Mmm. Right."

It was a very long while as Shadow listened to her breathing, feeling her magic course through her blood under his touch, smelling her hair, her skin, and the stone and sand around them, thinking of one thing, and then nothing, and then several things at once, but not really thinking at all.

And after that very long while, Shadow slowly eased out from under Victoria, who had half been laying on his right side, most definitely asleep, and laid her down upon a pillow-bundle of clothing and covered her with the blanket Link had left him. He walked outside the temple, lost in thought, holding his arms around himself, not for warmth, but simply because he could.

Something about the temple now made him restless, whereas it usually made him feel at peace.

'_What is it?'_

He cast the thought out across the night as he began to play with his shadow-pipes the light, airy notes of the spirit-song hunting down a long forgotten magic and brought it into life once more. The magic threw a spark at him, which he caught and immediately questioned. Something took him up, across, through space, over sand and stone, standing at the right-center pillar, puzzling over the spark.

'_I know I felt something,'_ he thought, trying to convince himself he wasn't crazy. And just then, he felt against the pillar, pressing into just the right spot. If he hadn't, he might never have known what was to happen next, but because it had, future events would run true to their appointed course.

There was a great rattling and shifting of stone, and he stepped back, silently gasping in amazement. A secret passage he had never come across in all his years exploring this place?

When it was done, he walked silently down the corridor, torches lighting on either side as he passed, as if welcoming royalty. The passageway ended in an open, circular room, and he was suddenly hit with a wave of déjà vu. "What?" he said aloud, his eyes clouding over, "What is this?"

He knelt, grasping his heart. It rattled his ribcage, making his breathing erratic, until all at once, it stopped.

The air itself changed, tasting older to his future tongue, the dust motes not touching him, but going _through_ him. He blinked, and stood up, examining himself. His fingers, palms, arms… his whole body was transparent and sort of various shades of black and white. He vaguely wondered if this was a dream. Suddenly, a feeling of being passed through – kind of like ice water being poured over oneself – came over him, and someone tall and dark came into his vision. He ran to the right, up to the oval altar in the middle of the six stone columns and torches, and gave a start when he recognized the figure.

It was a very much younger, but still quite the same, more viral looking Ganondorf.

He was holding a bundle, and in it, a baby.

'_Is that… no. It can't be. But it is me, isn't it?'_ Shadow only just now realized that he was seeing a memory, the preserved memory of the spell that had been cast upon him almost eighteen years ago (1).

As he observed the scene before him, he realized the woman across from Ganondorf was Victoria's mother. She was beautiful and terrible, as was the price of such power. He saw her face, not yet filled with the light of Victoria's soul, weeping for something lost. Zelda. Victoria had told him her story.

Ganondorf, truly had once careful for him, he could see that much. The way he cringed at Sylvia's harsh words and held the baby Shadow close to his chest whenever he could confirm that, at least. And then the scream, the terrible, unbearable scream – how it pained him. Perhaps physically as well as emotionally, real (?) tears coming to his eyes.

And then it was over.

Color and solidity returned to him, and he stood leaning against a pillar, staring off into space. Now he realize the entirety of the spell he was under – for it was indeed a spell, and it was indeed reversible, though only once the spell had completely run its course.

But what course was that?

Suddenly, he could hear Victoria calling his name. "Shadow!" He ran to her immediately, stopping in his tracks once he reached the foyer of the temple. It was covered in flames that somehow gave off no heat.

'_Flames? But there's only stone! What's there to catch fire with?'_ Then it occurred to him this might be an illusion cause by leaking magic and a nightmare. Not stopping to test his illusion theory, he ran through the flames to the tossing Victoria against the wall.

"Wake up!" he shouted, shaking her shoulders, "Wake up!" The illusionary flames shorted out once she awoke, but she clung to Shadow as a reflex, burying he face in his shirt, crying. He seemed afraid of moving, and unsure of what to do next, so all he felt he could do was hold her close and lay her back down. Still not completely conscious, Victoria fell asleep quicker than he, as thoughts ran around his head until the wolf's howl.

.oOo.

"Shadow!"

"Damn… morning already?" Shadow sat up, rested, though slightly worse for wear. Sunlight was streaming through the temple's entrance, cascading in beautiful rays with a magical sparkle. He stared at it for some time before finally turning to the whispering voice.

"Listen, I'm sorry about last night-" "-AH!"

Victoria's bright face had immediately come into view and he hadn't been prepared for it. He flailed as she stood back in surprise, but then recovered his composure and brushed off some non-existent dirt from his chest.

"It's all right," he murmured, hiding his face in his hair to conceal his blush, "you had a nightmare. It happens." She frowned. Last night's episode was sure to be one of many more; which scared her a little. The reality of it was so sharp and jarring, it was hard to believe it was little more than a reaction to the process that was changing her, strengthening her.

So, at that particular moment, she was about to protest that the fire could've been real instead of illusionary, but decided to humor him and agree. "I suppose. Now come on, Link's back and he's already eaten, so here, have some fried Leever!" She handed him a coal black pan of iron with some mushy green stuff in the middle.

"This is fried Leever? It looks like Chu guts." She brought herself to her full height, which was quite intimidating, and put her hands on her hips.

"Hey, if you don't like it, I can surely give it to Link and let you go hungry. It's not like we have much else." She muttered something more under her breath that sounded like, "And you really don't want to eat the guay meat – nasty stuff."

"Okay, okay, I'll eat it!" He took a bite. "It's actually not that bad. Seems like they do serve a purpose after all." Victoria grinned. "When you have a boss that likes to serve boiled fish eyes and call it a dip, you learn some things, you know? Nearly anything living is edible, with the exception of most mushrooms and a few plants." Shadow paused in his eating, not sure if he wanted to know what else had gone into his food. So he didn't ask.

Once they were all packed up, they were ready to proceed.

"I don't remember this being here the last time I came…" Shadow said as they stared at the big silver block. Link's new, shiny gauntlets flashed. "Well, you need these to keep going. Speaking of which, you don't have any gauntlets; would you like my old ones?" "Sure."

Link pushed the big block with a magical strength that was surely the work of the gauntlets. Once it dropped and they rounded the corner (Link actually hitting the Beamos statue correctly the first time around) Link pulled out a map to check which way they should go next.

"Hey!" Shadow hissed playfully, "You might try checking the ceiling before deciding which way to go, huh? Besides, I know this place. Practically lived in it. We don't need that." Victoria nodded. "Right. Link, just shoot the thing so we can move on?" He didn't argue, and quickly shot the target on the ceiling to unlock the left and right doors, and they chose the door on the left.

Victoria dispatched the Wolfos in the next room with little trouble, Link playing Zelda's Lullaby on the Triforce symbol on the floor as she did so. He shot over to the chest that appeared, as Shadow looked the room over. "Oh look, more sand." Link coughed. "Yeah, it appears to be everywhere. Oh, and look! Another compass." He shook his hat, the compasses inside choosing at this particular moment to rattle. "Like I need another one."

"Each one is specially attuned to a specific temple, Link. You can't take the compass from the Forest Temple and use it in the Water Temple. It's not how they work. Although I do admit it is kind of pointless to have so many compasses. They could at least have a labeling system of some kind, you know?" Victoria said, looking up at nowhere in particular, rubbing her chin in thought. "They do all look the same," he muttered as the exited the chamber, "would be nice if I could tell them apart."

They dodged the Beamos that had reappeared and headed for the other door.

"Whoa, busy place. Who gets to do this room?" Shadow looked at Victoria and Link. Silence greeted him. "Okay, no takers? Seriously?" He looked at the rolling boulders and sweatdropped. "If they flatten me, it's your fault."

There was a lot of screaming, but eventually he got all the silver rupees to open the door, which he went through, coming back dripping in goo.

"Okay, next time, _you_ are going to be the one slaying the shield eater and getting covered in its entrails, got it?" He did not look happy. Victoria blinked, stunned for a moment, then quickly brushed off the goo with a cleaning spell. "There! Good as new!" She flashed a forced smile, hoping he'd take the bait. Not being able to resist her charm, he sighed and shook his head. "Here's your bloody key, hero. Let's get a move-on."

They went back to the next room and unlocked the door, coming face to face with a second shield eater, stunning Shadow. "Okay, I seriously didn't know it was there. Really." Link, who had just been cleaned by Victoria's spell, nodded dismissively. "I know. What I'd really like to see is one of the 'nice' spirits you talked about." Victoria scoffed/chuckled. "Good luck finding one, I can't sense any." Link grinned, and they moved on, killing off the wall Skullatua of beforehand.

"Wait."

Victoria's eyes flashed as Link took a step forward. She charged with Shadow's dagger, slashing through an invisible floor master. Link paled.

"Thanks." She stood up straight, nodding curtly. "Your welcome. Oh, try moving the mirror to the third sun from the left. It seems to be the one radiating the most truth. Shadow, stand by with your sword; I don't trust it completely." Link moved the mirror, and the sun shone, but just when he was about to turn, Shadow cut through a very large, very visible floor master, and picked up the rupees it left behind.

"What would I do without you two?" Link asked, sighing and laughing at the same time. "You'd use pink faeries, most likely." Shadow grinned. "Not exactly what I wanted to hear. It was rhetorical, actually." Shadow shrugged. "I would've commented anyway." Link nodded. "True."

The next room Link recognized as the main room. "This is where I got the map. And I know how to get the next key, so just give me a minute." He ran up the stairs, ran across the top to jump to the left hand of the statue, played Zelda's lullaby, Longshoted over to the right hand, and ran back to them all in the span of two minutes.

"You said to give you one, you took two," Shadow commented, grinning. Link out of breath, scowled and shook his head. "Do you have to comment for everything?" Victoria asked him. "Yes." She sighed, but couldn't help but laugh at the same time.

"There's a switch on the ledge up there. I don't know what it does, but it needs to be hit. Think you two could get it for me?" He handed Shadow the Megaton Hammer. "This'll let you push it down in the ground, since it looks rather rusted. I'll move on, and you'll wait here." He winked as he ran back up. "I'll be back!"

Victoria heard the door closing before she could even say, "What?"

She looked at Shadow. "What just happened?"

"I think he just ditched us." She laughed. "I don't think so. Perhaps he thought we needed a break. You know how he is. I'm a little tired anyway. Let's go get that switch, huh?" Shadow reluctantly agreed.

They walked up the stairs and stood at the edge. Victoria put her arms around his waist tightly, smiling at his warmth against her skin. "You're soft," she whispered gently, making him blush ever so slightly. He smiled a little. Then he focused his Longshot on the chest across from them, and landed safely and the ledge.

Victoria nuzzled closer, enjoying the silence. She wanted to stay like this forever. "I suppose I have to let go now, don't I?" Shadow laughed softly. "You could, or we could hit the switch together. How about it? We have all the time the world right now, as there's no telling when Link'll get back." She nodded. "That sounds wonderful. And terribly exciting." she joked. He shook his head. "Your jokes are bad." She giggled. "You still laugh at them though."

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. I wonder why…" He took out the Megaton Hammer and took her hand. "Let's do this!" And they swung. (2) Time spun as soon as the rusty switch was embedded in the ground, and they were thrown from one space into another. Twin screams halted as they were thrust onto blue stone, the wide, square room lit by an unknown source.

"Are you all right, Victoria?" Shadow asked her, cringing. She nodded. "Yeah. What happened? Huh?"

"Damn! I was hoping to catch the Hero! But look, Kotake, look what we caught instead!" Shadow's head whipped up, recognizing the sound of Koume's voice. "No…" She cackled. "Oh, yes! I think it's time I got to give you a nice long whipping, yes? You are such naughty boy, Shadow, running away and all that…" Koume floated closer, but Shadow brought Victoria back. "Stay away, damn you!"

Kotake was simply staring into nothing. It was as if she hadn't a choice in being here. "Language, boy," she said in a dull monotone, "Language."

Shadow and Victoria stood up in the middle of the room, the two witches circling them. Shadow knew these witches? It was hard to imagine that he did, but then she recalled something he'd said about the twin sisters who had raised Ganondorf long before any of them had been born. It didn't matter if he'd known one of them as a kinder person before; they threatened their lives _now_. Victoria pressed herself against Shadow's back and put something into his hands: the dagger.

"Use it. I don't care how." She hissed.

Use it? Use it how? _'I need some way to protect her. I die with her if I could!'_

Then the dagger's magic began to activate. "I knew there was magic in that thing!" Victoria gasped, looking back in his general direction. "Magic? What… kind?" Shadow's hands were still behind his back, clutching the dagger tightly. "Wish magic. The very same magic I used to find you in the first place. But I didn't know it then." The wish magic blinded the witches, and sent them running for cover. In their haste to leave, Shadow and Victoria were thrust back into the main room, side by side. They were breathing heavily, sweaty, and magically tired.

Then they heard Link's voice from above. "Are you two all right?" Victoria looked up at a descending platform on the ceiling, which Link stood on. "Sort of. You wouldn't believe where that switch actually went. Ouch, Shadow, you're laying on my foot."

"Oops, sorry." Shadow sat up, bleary-eyed and contemplative. "Is it just me or does something feel different? On a magical level? I can feel your magic, closer than usual. It's like… we're connected."

Victoria frowned. She could feel it too. Shadow's magic was closer than before, pulsing against hers. She could feel his thoughts, too, dark and over thinking, sorting out the obstacles yet to come. His soul shone bright underneath the layers of darkness, his id, small but powerful. She could feel tears almost come to her eyes. How could she know these things?

"The wish magic," she whispered, "it must've happened when the dagger activated…oh!" With a wave of her hand a light appeared. It was a strong line, connecting the center left sides of their chests together. "Our hearts!" Shadow exclaimed softly. "They're…connected." Victoria nodded. "Right. And our souls and even our thoughts, should we choose to strengthen our bond. I know what this is; even without my staff's help. This is a heartline; often considered both a gift and a curse, depending on what way you look at it. My father once told me that the price of a heartline was a 'life and a life'. Basically…"

Shadow blanched. "If I die, you do. And vice versa." He frowned. "It's all my fault, then. I thought… I had to protect you. That I'd die with you if I could. This must have been what the dagger's magic gave us, to that effect." Victoria laughed, the tears finally coming free of her eyes.

"No, don't you understand? This is a good thing! Wherever we go now, we'll go together, even in death." She swallowed some tears she'd licked off her lips and took a breath. "Now I don't have to be afraid."

Shadow stared at her for a moment, utterly baffled. Only she could see this as a good thing. But perhaps she was right. Perhaps now they didn't have to be afraid. He wiped away the remaining tears and pressed a tender kiss to her lips. The moment was ruined, however, by Link shouting down at them.

"Hey, lovebirds! Will you get up here already? I know this is a tender moment an' all, but you'll have plenty of time after we fight the boss to have a make-out session!" Shadow snorted. "He didn't really just say that did he?" She nodded. "Yeah, he did. Now come on, we can use the statue to get up there if we hurry."

Once they landed on the platform, Shadow took a look at Link's shiny new shield. "Whoa… that's the mirror shield. I take it we'll need that to defeat the boss?" Link nodded. "The owl said we had to turn the witches' magic against them." Shadow frowned, but said nothing. By now, the heartline had disappeared again, but he could feel its energy humming through him.

And there they were, Koume and Kotake, floating in front of a huge Iron Knuckle.

"Looks like someone is here, Koume," said the ice witch. "Looks like it, Kotake," said Koume. They were speaking so strangely… Suddenly Shadow realized that somehow the wish magic had tampered with their memories! They didn't remember their meeting before! Did they even remember him?

'_It doesn't matter. Koume I never liked, but if neither of them remember me, this is going to make fighting them a whole lot easier.'_

"What outrageous fellows they are, to intrude so boldly into our Temple…" Kotake cackled. "We should teach these outrageous fellows a lesson!" Now it was Koume's turn to cackle. "Oh loyal minion…" they both sang.

The two witches turned around completely to face them as they gave their order. "Destroy these intruders on our behalf!" Koume spotted Victoria and a grate appeared over a hole in the ceiling that wasn't there before. "Oh little girl, we can't have you helping this time. It's time we shut you up for good!" Then she teleported behind her and knocked out Victoria out by sheer surprise. Then she cackled.

'Shadow…'

"No!" Shadow cried. Koume snapped her fingers and transported her to the hole in the ceiling, Victoria lying limp against the grate. "Ha ha ha! How's that for incentive!" She flew back over to Kotake before Shadow could get to her. "Good luck dying quickly!"

And then they disappeared, leaving Link and an enraged Shadow to fight off the Iron Knuckle.

"Shadow," Link barked, "you take right. I'll go left. Wait until it swings and then charge at it, and back away before it swings aga- hey, wait!" Shadow, not having heard him, charged anyway, not watching for the swing, only just managing to see it by sheer luck, and avoiding a decapacitation by trading it for a long flesh wound to the chest.

"Ahh!" he cried out in pain, recoiling. "You idiot!" Link shouted down at him once he arrived at his side, "Didn't you hear me tell you to wait?" He handed Shadow a red potion. "Now drink this and come help me when you're done. And hurry!" Link side jumped and began attacking, clearly experienced at fighting an Iron Knuckle and anticipating its movements. Shadow shook his head.

_That was stupid. I should've waited… getting myself killed won't help him any, and it certainly won't help Victoria._

He gulped it down, feeling the pain in his chest receding. "Victoria!" he shouted, "Wake up!" his feelings reverberated through their bond, and he saw her hand twitch.

He was about to call again, but he had to dodge the flying debris of the pillar next to him first. The battle wore on, grueling and bloody. Victoria's eyes began to flutter as the sounds of weapons clashing woke her. She sat up, propping herself up with her hands, then rubbed the pounding spot where she'd been hit. "Ow… Shadow, what?" Finally she jolted back into reality and saw the battle, which was going on beneath her.

Calling out would just distract them, she realized, so what could she do? Then she noticed the bars. They were made of steel, and she could melt them, provided she put enough pressure and heat against them. And after that? Well… huh. That could work. Her will set; she got to work.

Link and Shadow were nearly exhausted, scrapes and cuts littering their bodies, and the battlefield littered with debris and dust. "We can't go on like this much longer… what?"

There was a great clattering, and then a bright blast, and the Iron Knuckle fell to its knees, the armor falling to the floor with a clang. Victoria stood behind it, her staff pointing towards the figure, looking more like an avenging angel than the scared young woman she kept hidden behind her stoic mask. Shadow gasped. "Nabooru!" The figure before Victoria was dressed in desert attire, female, red-haired, and with light brown skin.

It was indeed Nabooru, the Gerudos' principal thief.

"Huh? Where am I?"

Suddenly, the witches were back. "Nabooru!" Shadow cried, "You must remember me!" Nabooru's eyes lit up in recognition. "Shadow!"

"What a wonderful reunion, Koume, it looks like she's back to normal…" Kotake hissed, giggling too much to be harmless. "She's just a little girl, but she commands a lot of respect from the Gerudo, Kotake…" Nabooru snarled. "Little girl! Why you-!" "Be silent, vermin!" Koume snapped.

"Maybe we should make her work for the great Gannondorf for a little while longer! Ho ho ho!" Kotake suggested, staring down at her. Koume laughed, liking the idea. "Oh, what fun! Then we should brainwash her again! Ha ha ha!" They proceeded to fire up two beams of light, which the adventurers were powerless to stop. Nabooru knew she couldn't escape either, so she turned to Link and Shadow. "Defeat them! And quickly! Ah!"

And then she was gone, along with the witches.

"Nabooru…" the word was dead upon Shadow's lips, as if he couldn't believe it had happened. "Come on, we should go. The boss room is just beyond this door." Victoria prompted them, "We'll save Nabooru after." She flashed a smile. "She's still alive. I don't know where, but she is."

Victoria thrust a wave of trust through their link, unintentional as it was. Shadow nodded, feeling the link pulse. "Right! Let's do this!"

Upon arriving at the center of the largest platform, a cackling sound echoed through the room. "Look at these stupid kids… they came on their own to offer themselves to the great Ganondorf!"

Two identical circles of power lit up, one yellow, one blue. One in front, the other behind. The trio stood shoulder to shoulder in a human triangle, weapons drawn. "With my flame I'll burn them to the bone!" Koume cried. "And with my frost I'll freeze them to their souls!" Kotake cackled. And then they circled around their heads a few times and the fight was on.

Shadow instantly began to jump around the platforms, asking the shadows to help, as there were plenty in the room. "I'm afraid this part is all you two. I can't cast any ice or fire spells, but I'll do my best to heal you if I can!" Victoria nodded. He was a shadow mage after all. She leaned close to Link and whispered quietly to him, "I'm going to need you to let me in…"

"In?" He questioned. She nodded. "Inside your head, so I can talk to you without the witches knowing. Just… relax." He raised an eyebrow but did his best to relax. '_Link! Can you hear me?_' she shouted mentally as loud as she could.

Link cringed. "Ouch, not so loud… I can hear you just fine!"

'_Sorry. I'll try to be quieter. When one starts casting a spell, use Navi to target the other one and reflect the spell to deal some damage!_'

Victoria shrugged. "Here, this might help." She helped keep Navi floating nearby either one of the sisters as they flew around. Then, when Kotake finally was still and began casting her spell, Navi shone a bright green that drew the shield's magic to her. The ice reflected off the shield perfectly and hit Koume square in the chest with a shriek. She shook it off, apparently not finished. The twins began circling again, and this time Koume prepared her spell.

However, Link had waited a second too long to move his shield arm and was hit by the fiery blast. "Ahh!" his eyes bulged with the pain of the fire searing down his skin, but Shadow, true to his word, managed to cast a healing spell that stopped the fire and healed his wounds to a certain extent.

'_Damn! I wish I could focus on my healing spells better! But if I stand still I'll be hit… I really wish I'd studied healing spells better in general.'_

The next go-round Koume sent fire raining down on him again, but this time he was ready and hit Kotake with a full blast. At this point Koume cried out, "Let's get serious now Kotake!" Shadow jumped back onto the middle platform, the shadows still lingering all over, making him look little more than a corporeal figure of dark energy. "No! They're transforming! This is their ultimate attack!"

"Kotake and Koume's Double Dynamite Attack!" Victoria snorted. "They could at least give it a better name. Even 'ultimate attack' sounds better than that." Shadow shrugged. "Yeah I'm not sure why they call it that…"

"Guys!" Link hissed, "Focus here!" "Oh, right," they both said staccato-like.

After the somewhat overdramatic transformation, Twinrova wasted no time in targeting Link and shooting a beam of ice at him, which he was able to block thanks to Navi's quick thinking.

"Hey, why is my shield glowing?" The mirror shield had somehow absorbed the blast and was flashing white. "It's the mirror's magic, Link!" Victoria told him, "Keep absorbing her attacks until they backfire!" "Easy for you to say, she won't…stay…still! Ah!" Again, the shield absorbed an ice beam, and flashed even faster.

"How much longer?" "One more, I think." The third ice beam did indeed cause it to backfire back at her, and made her fall to the platform she was floating over. Link jumped and attacked with his sword, and Victoria shot fireballs with her staff. Shadow's eyes narrowed, knowing their attacks wouldn't be enough.

But did he dare try to attack on his own?

He'd have to, he decided. They needed to get this over with as fast as possible, so what was the harm in trying to help out a little? Shadow focused his magic, bringing into being a wispy, sharp shadow spear that he sent flying deep into her midsection. The blood-curdling scream that followed was deafening.

"Whelp shadowling!" Twinrova hissed furiously. Shadow gasped. "No!"

Twinrova had grasped Link and had shaken him unconscious. Victoria went to save him from her clutches, but was thrown back by a blast of energy, which rattled her to her very core, sending her crashing onto the platform to his right, and making him sink to his knees in pain. "Damn… the link…" He slowly got up and grit his teeth through the pain that was searing his very soul.

"Time to teach you a lesson in manners, child!" Shadow's eyes narrowed.

"No! It's you that needs to be taught a lesson!" (3)

Twinrova threw the unconscious Link to the platform to his left and summoned a ball of shadows above her head. "We'll see about that!" And she threw it towards him. Shadow steeled himself and ran _through_ the ball as it blasted into oblivion behind him, holding his sword as he yelled through his charge. Jumping over the gap between platforms, he slashed at her and slashed until she knocked him backwards, sending his sword flying. Now he knew he had no choice but to use the shadows, but he wasn't sure if he should. Would he, by doing so, become like Ganondorf? But… it wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. No, he wouldn't let it!

'_I won't let myself become Ganondorf, because I am not his son!'_

"I won't become him, I can't!" he said out loud to himself. Finally, he stood back up, a somehow bright energy swirling about him that crackled with power.

"It's time I finished this! I'm sorry Kotake!" He gave a bitter smile and a single salty tear ran down his face. "You always were my favorite…"

Summoning as many shadows that would allow him to command them, a swirling mass of purple shadow beams appeared, and when they finally reached full power, they stilled and shot towards the surprised Twinrova and finished her for good. Shadow sunk to his hands and knees, exhausted from the drainage of so much energy, but he knew it was worth it.

"I'm sorry for you, too, Koume, sadistic witch that you are…"

He looked up to see Link and Victoria recovering, and running towards him. "Are you okay?" Victoria asked him, her face blanketed with worry. "I could ask you the same. But we're alive aren't we?" She looked just as much drained as he felt. It was probably the link. "Your pain… I felt it, too. How could you bear so much?" She smiled. "I couldn't have. If you hadn't absorbed some of the excess through our link, my soul might've shattered." She frowned. "And for a magic user…" Shadow nodded. "If their soul shatters their magic dies and then so do they. Classic domino effect." She helped him stand. "But that's done, now. Look!"

"Shoot, what a fresh kid… this time we'll get serious, eh Koume?" Koume turned to Kotake and noticed the halo over her head, and the blue light surrounding them. "Hey, what?"

"Kotake, what is that above your head?" Kotake turned to Koume and saw that she had one too. "I don't know, but you have one over your head too, Koume!" Koume started screeching, realizing what they were. "But I'm only 400 years old!" "And I'm just 380 years old!" Kotake cried. "We're twins!" Koume barked, "Don't try to lie about your age!" Kotake snarled. "You must have gone senile!" Koume huffed. "Who're you calling senile! Is that how you treat your older sister?" Kotake screeched even louder, making the trio cringe. "We're twins! How can you be older?" Koume flapped her arms faster. "How heartless you are! How can you be so ungrateful?"

"You're the heartless one!" Kotake said, flapping her arms at the rate of Koume's. Suddenly, their fighting ceased, and they both said as they flew into the light, "I'll come back to haunt you!" (4)

As soon as the light disappeared, there was silence.

"Umm," Link said, finally breaking it, "that was really weird." Victoria scoffed, still looking up at the ceiling. "No kidding. Let's just go already…"

And so they stepped into the blue light, headed for the Chamber of Sages.

.oOo.

Nabooru was standing there waiting for the,.

"I knew you were the Sage of Spirit!" Shadow cried, grinning and snapping his fingers. "There's no one in the whole desert who has more!"

She laughed. "Save for perhaps, you, Shadow." Then she nodded to Link. "Kid, let me thank you. Look what that runt from the past seven years ago has become – a competent swordsman! By the way…" she said apologetically but still holding her proud stance, "I really messed up.

"I was brainwashed by those old witches and used by Ganondorf to do his evil will…" Shadow's eyes furrowed. "It wasn't your fault. You were powerless…" She chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know. But isn't it funny? That a person like me could turn out to be the Sage of Spirit! But now I'm going to fight as one of the six sages! He's really going to pay for what he's done!"

She nodded her head sharply to prove her point.

"Kid…" she began again, "No, Link… the Hero of Time!" He cringed. "Please don't call me that…" She chuckled. "Why not? It's what you are after all! Well, instead of keeping the promise I made back then, I'm giving you this medallion!" In a flash of light and a flood of power, the Spirit Medallion was his!

Then, as they disappeared into the light, Nabooru's voice called out to him one again.

"If only I knew you'd become such a handsome man…"

* * *

Wahh! Finally! I'm sorry this is so long, but I had so much stuff I had to cover! It was mostly just emotional bonding and whatnot, there was hardly any real temple trekking going on. Well anyway, here are my footnotes:

1) Victoria is supposed to be seventeen. So Link, Zelda, and Shadow are all roughly a year older because remember Vic's story? Yeah. I have to go back to Shadow Watcher and change some things then because I said he was seventeen in that story.

2) This doesn't really happen in the game. To be honest, I don't know what happens. But I needed to fit that scene in there somewhere so that's where it went.

3) This also doesn't happen. Again, I needed this scene so I used my powers as a fanfiction authoress and made it so.

4) I messed up their conversation after you defeat them. Koume is actually supposed to say what Kotake is saying and vise versa but I'm too lazy to change it.

More emotional stuff after this, some ultimatums… hardcore spiritual talks about feelings take place. Yeah. Hope I don't bore you too much. We'll get to the juicy stuff later. Since Ganon's Tower is most likely going to take two chapters, and I want an epilogue, I'd say about four chapters are left. Cool. And I never thought I'd finish this thing. XD


	11. Last Nights

Chapter Eleven: Last Nights

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 11

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: Long story short: I don't own it.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

**Author's Notes-**

Wow, getting close! I've never felt so close to completing something since Shadow Watcher for a long while!

Oh, I don't know if I answered your question properly, Nekoi, so here it is. The purpose behind Link and Shadow's yami/hikari bond is something of a secret, but you will definitely see it during the final battle, though more than likely you'll see it in Part II and not Part I. But their bond does have a purpose! Whether it can actually be justified is up to the readers, though.

**EDIT:** Added more meat to the conversation between Victoria and her mother. Some things are explained and whatnot that Victoria mentions after the battle that I felt should be explained. There's only so much I can chalk up to 'Cronos knowledge' you know. And some grammar issues, too, like usual.

* * *

This time Shadow was the first to awaken. He sat up slowly, propping himself up with his left hand pressed onto the cold stone of the platform behind him, his right hand wiping the sleep from his eyes. It was strange, he realized, how close they were as friends, and in Victoria's case, more than that. Perhaps that was what traveling together did to you. Hmm.

As he looked across the sands that lay before the Colossus, shimmering brilliantly in the dusty dawn, he felt a sense of calm about him as well that he knew hadn't been there before.

He wasn't anxious about the upcoming battle he knew that they would have to attempt one of these days. Or would it be today? He frowned. Honestly, he was sure it wouldn't happen today. On the other hand, however, there was still some unfinished business that they had, all of them. They were all hoping to seal up some things before they started to march up to their would-be deaths. They didn't want to leave anything incomplete.

"It's strange, isn't it?" said a voice that didn't surprise Shadow in the least, "How can we feel so calm when we know the hardest challenge is yet to come?" Shadow looked back over his left shoulder and half shrugged, meeting Victoria's curiously tranquil eyes.

"I'm not sure. Emotions are bound to heat up, when we fight, at least. This sense of peace we're feeling must be natural, a sort of coping mechanism. Well, it's got to be that, if not the work of the goddesses." He smiled, his eyes wistful. She nodded, drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and setting her chin on top.

"Wait."

Shadow's head half turned to the right, and Victoria's gaze slowly swept the stone until they found Link. He was awake, a wild but tame feeling emanating from his fierce spirit, his blue eyes gleaming in the rising sun's light.

"There's still things we need to do. A few things we need to finish."

Victoria nodded, unclasping her legs and letting them lay against one another, her knees pointing towards the direction of the two young men. "There's someone I want to see," she said softly, absently, "several, in fact. Though they're all in Kakariko. Only one should be a little difficult to find, seeing as the last time I saw him was seven years ago."

She thought of Sam, her long-forgotten friend of a past that seemed so distant now. She longed to see him safe, and wondered, strangely, how much he'd changed since his childhood.

Neither of the two young men knew what she was talking about. Shadow had an inkling as his thoughts occasionally brushed hers, but nothing more.

They simply assumed she was getting her thoughts together, and speaking them out loud was the most common way she had of going about it. They had a lot of things they needed to get together.

"I have someone to see too," said Link, "but only one. Perhaps I could give Malon a hand for a day, too, just for old times sake." He laughed. It wasn't quite a bitter laugh, but there was a hint of bitterness to it, Victoria could tell.

"Old times… perhaps that's what they are. I don't want to go back, not really." Link was doing much the same as Victoria, speaking to organize his thoughts, though it was more or less part of the transparent conversation that was going on that would only become solid for a few moments before wavering again.

"I can't go back," Victoria sighed, "my mother's power won't allow it. Her powers are quickly catching up with me, and sometimes it's painful. Those nightmares I've been having… her powers are the cause. To go back and try to be a child again… perhaps it might be possible but I'd be in… so much pain. At best I'd still only have the nightmares, but I'd probably have them every night, unlike the occasional ones I'm getting now." She shivered. Going back also meant going back to that empty house, alone.

She really didn't want to do that.

Shadow's head turned in her direction. He knew exactly how painful and terrifying her nightmares were, and the thoughts that went unspoken in her head. She was remembering the previous one now, at this exact moment, and he was catching glimpses of it. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I don't know where I would fit into it all." He said at last, hoping to provide them a momentary distraction. "Ganondorf murdered my parents and had my curse placed on me before the door of time was unlocked. Where would I be? Still in the desert, being raised by the Gerudos, but with no Ganon in the picture? At best, that's all I can come up with, and I don't even want to think about the worst." He shuddered, and both Link and Victoria sent waves of comfort towards him, though he could truly only feel Victoria's. She seemed to sympathize with him very much on that front. That creeping loneliness. She inched closer to him and threaded the fingers of their hands together. For now, at least, they didn't have to be alone.

Link watched the sun slowly begin to creep up.

"We should leave soon. I've learned that the day passes quickly in the desert, and the nights are long. It would be nice to get moving so we can make it back before twilight, at least."

The others agreed.

.oOo.

And so they made it back just before twilight like they wanted, in time to receive a hearty welcome from the Gerudos.

"Namali!" Shadow exclaimed, "We don't really…" Namali, Nabooru's now bright, spunky second-in-command, had to insist. "You've freed the temple from its darkness. Leave it be, I tell you, just let us give you this." She laughed under her breath shakily. "The other Gerudo need it too, but really, you're just the excuse."

Shadow scoffed, while Victoria laughed softly and Link was staring at Namali with a strange skeptical glare.

"Well isn't that nice…" Shadow muttered. Victoria took him by his left arm and giggled. "Come now, Shadow, this ought to be fun! I thought you wanted to show me one of the desert dances anyway, right?" She took a quick stock of the atmosphere and sighed contentedly. Something about the air seemed very welcoming, congratulatory, almost. She liked feeling this way, as an adult. It was the closest she'd ever come to feeling truly herself.

Shadow, realizing he was trapped, had to submit.

"All right, all right, I'll show you. It's kind of hard to explain, though. Really, if you just listen to the music and let it take you…" His eyes already had this excited, far-off glaze that Victoria couldn't help but wonder at. "Hello! Come back to Hyrule for me will you? You haven't even shown me yet!" He shook his head to shake off the pre-glaze of the desert dancing and took her over behind the boxes.

"Now, now," he said, catching her mischievous look, "this is not what you think. I'm only giving you as basic run-through as I possibly can, all right? The rest you have to do on your own. That's what makes it so…fun is the only word I can think of. Interesting might be better." He took her hands and held them out in front of them, the two standing only a single pace apart.

"Now, unclasp your hands, and hold them behind your back. Tap your left foot along with the beat to get yourself started. Or right. It doesn't really matter."

Victoria did and closed her eyes. Shadow was doing it too, she could hear.

"Now once the music starts up, start swaying left and right, giving it just a touch of… ah, personality. But not enough to let anything on. It's just for show."

She could hear his voice as though it were coming from far away, very distant. Music hadn't even actually started but somehow, deep in her bones, she could hear it. But she wanted to show everyone she could do it. She forced herself to come back, back to his velvet voice and flickering blue-red orbs.

"I, I think I got it," she said, out of breath, "let's go dance."

Shadow grinned. "You sure? All right. Let's go dance." She paused, holding up a hand, when she went over to one of the Gerudo, who led her into a room and walked out after a moment. "And you can keep them if you want! It's not like we'll ever use them."

When she came back out, Shadow blinked, stunned. Somehow, her Sheikah garb had become a lovely scarlet, sashaying set of skirts, and a simple white over shirt tucked into the waistband. "Wow," he whistled, completely taken aback. She laughed, shyly taking his hand and blushing fiercely. "I wanted to look the part for a dance. Like my mother always used to when she danced with my father." Shadow was still speechless. The magic of the dance of the desert had taken him in. She looked better this way, he thought, more at home than he'd ever seen her, about to perform for an audience, albeit a just as taken mob of dance magicked Gerudo.

As the music started up, the drums beating and the various other instruments starting up and joining, she even started to sing as they twirled around and around, stamping their feet together as one, and not stopping. They were too far-gone with the magic of the music, and even Shadow was laughing. He had not danced in a very long while, never had he been so exhilarated.

Link, however, was not dancing. He was in an all right mood, but dancing just wasn't his thing. At least dancing alone wasn't, and he wasn't comfortable with dancing with someone he didn't know, like some could be. So he was standing at the cliff that was above the passage into the camp, his arms folded and his blue orbs staring into the large, bright moon.

"Not the dancing type?" a familiar voice asked.

Nabooru walked up beside him, much to his surprise. "I didn't think you could come out of the chamber," he said, still staring at the moon. She smiled. "We can. We just need to be there so our powers that we've given to you can have the most effect. So, not the dancing type? You should be enjoying yourself, kid."

She had put her hands on her hips and was throwing a smirk his way. He laughed shortly and turned his head to her. His smile was a small one, but it was there. "Not really, no." Nabooru nodded, still grinning. "At least, not alone?" He nodded, his mouth stiffening, but in an agreeing manner. "Yeah, pretty much." Then she chuckled. "But you could dance with someone else… you don't always have to dance alone. Or is there simply someone in particular you'd rather dance with? Like say… the Princess?"

He coughed, momentarily choking on his own spit, but regaining his composure quickly. He had been mulling over that very thing just a little while ago, but his fantasies were surely not something he wanted to discuss, especially with Nabooru.

"You're blushing, kid. You're paler than death so even in moonlight it's quite easy to see. You like her, don't you?"

He sighed. "More than I should. She's a princess. And, well, I only saw her once or twice, and we were just kids. I don't know what she looks like now. And me? I'm no one. I'd never be able to…" The words 'marry her' didn't make it past his lips, for his unbreakable courage had faltered for a single moment, locking his brain and making speech impossible.

Nabooru erupted into a fit of laughter, not stopping for several minutes. "You're really something, kid. Tell you what, take this, and come back when you're ready to thank me." A bottle of sweet smelling desert liquids appeared in her right hand out of nowhere and she thrust it into his unwilling hands.

"What?" He turned the bottle to get a better look at its contents and his face burned. "Nabooru, I can't…" She shushed him. "Keep it, kid. I mean it. Otherwise I'll just keep coming back and returning it to you. Get past the fact that you've only seen her once or twice and you were a kid then. You. Like. Her. And you are someone, so just keep it." Her grin grew wider, if it was at all possible. "And when the time is right; use it."

And then she just left; just like that.

Link was staring out into space for the longest time until a very ruffled-looking Shadow came up to him and brought him back to Earth. "Hey man, I saw. Nabooru can really be pushy can't she?" Link shook his head and blinked, stuffing the oil into his hat. "Yeah, yeah she can be."

Shadow laughed. "You've really got it bad, man." Link sighed. "Yeah, I know."

.oOo.

The next day found them at the forest, where Link insisted he go in alone.

"I'll be back soon so we can head to Kakariko. Or would you rather we go to the ranch and help out a little?" Shadow shrugged. "Would be nice to do something that doesn't involve fighting for a change. Kakariko can wait, can't it, love?" Victoria nodded. "It's not going anywhere."

Link nodded back and entered the Kokiri Forest.

He was able to sneak past the Kokiri, who were playing and laughing as usual, unaware of the dangers of the outside, chattering over how cute the Deku Sprout was, etcetera.

"It really hasn't changed, much," he mused, "whereas I would've been growing up while everyone stayed small. I wonder where I would've gone after that…" He slipped into the Lost Woods with little to no problem at all. Listening for the loudest music, he made his way to the clearing with the pond that led to Zora's River.

There sat a depressed Mido, mulling over the kid he'd bullied a while back.

"I wonder if he knows I'm sorry…" he said to no one in particular.

Link chose that particular moment to speak. "I do know, Mido." Mido spun around, not expecting anyone to reply. He had been sitting Indian style with his legs crossed, so to whip around his right hand had to grip the grass rather tightly.

"Oh, it's you, Mister." He said, still not getting it. "You know her song so you can go on ahead." He turned back from Link to watch the fish in the pond swim around and around each other.

"Mido," Link said softly, walking towards him and crouching down, "look!" He took one of Mido's hands, so much smaller than his own, adult hand. "It's me, Link!" Mido turned and met his eyes. His bright yellow-blond hair fell in front of them, but it didn't matter. The fairy fluttering around his green-hatted head told it all.

He gasped.

"It is you!" For a few moments, there was no sound except Link sitting down on the ground with his long adult legs in front of him, the bottoms of his boots just barely touching the water. Dirt flaked off and disappeared in the liquid, sullying its clearness for a few moments, but coming back in the end.

It was Mido who spoke first.

"I didn't realize that you were…" "Hylian? Perhaps that's what you saw in me that was different." Link knew he was talking to a child. A very old child (though he wasn't sure how old) but a child nonetheless.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for all that. You're…" A small smile played on his lips before his head shot up and his eyes sparked with light. "You're really cool, Link! You're my hero!" Link smiled. Mido was the only one he didn't mind calling him Hero. As long as he was _his_ hero and not _a_ hero.

"I'm honored, Mido. Thank you for telling me that." Sensing his visit was over, he stood up. Looking down, smiling, he said finally, "You look after yourself, okay?" And he left, Mido looking after him, blinking.

.oOo.

Link made his way back to Victoria and Shadow, and they set off for Lon Lon Ranch. When they arrived, there seemed to be complete chaos, only to find Malon had it under control.

"Easy there, Talon," Link eased, "it's just a loose cow, right? Malon can handle it… right?" Talon shook his head. "Tempered cows aren't the most dangerous things in the world, but only I know how to calm 'em. This 'ere is Malon's first try. I'm just worried."

Victoria cocked and eyebrow. "Why would you be worried? She the strongest woman I know. And she is your daughter."

Talon sighed. "That's why I'm worried. Un-tempering the cows was about the only thing I actually did around here before, cause Malon was too young or inexperienced. I'm suspecting that even Ingo did it when he kicked me out, since, well, he pretty much had my little girl tied up…"

Link nodded, watching Malon and the bucking young cow. "Reminds me of Epona when I first tried to touch her. Would Epona's Song work on the cows? Or do we just watch and wait?"

Talon shrugged. "That song's a last ditch attempt. Malon can whistle it if she 'as to, but she wants ta do this the proper way and that's why I'm afraid she's gonna get hurt." Victoria nodded. "I getcha now."

Link thought that _something_ was going to happen that would have him intervene but it never happened. The cow calmed down and Malon got off.

"Hey guys!" she said, waving, "Why are you here at this time of day?"

Link shrugged. "We wanted to know if you needed help with anything. Moving hay bales, cleaning stalls… or are you fine here?" Malon rubbed her chin. "As a matter of fact I do think you can help us with something. Papa? How 'bout we let him have a go at Star? You know, the one I couldn't tame?"

Talon shrugged again, scratching his burly, hairy arms.

"Well, it depends. Say kid? Has Malon ever showed you how to break a yearling?" Link scratched his mind, remembering a time when a younger Malon showed him.

"They'll buck and buck but you can't show weakness. All ya really gotta do is show 'em whose boss."

Link nodded, blanching at the memory. "Yeah, when we were younger."

Talon brought them in to see the yearling. Shadow gasped. "Well that explains it. This horse has desert breeding. No wonder you couldn't tame it. Let me have a try." Malon tilted her head. "Desert breeding? How can you tell?" Shadow traced the long legs and prominent high cheekbones in the air with his finger. "The legs are for walking on sand, and the cheekbones place the teeth in a better position for chewing desert grasses. This is a desert-bred horse. I wonder how you people found it."

Malon shrugged. "She just wandered in like Epona did. Maybe you can tame her before the sun fades."

And that's just what he did. He was a little bloody and bruised, but Victoria cleaned that up in no time. "I can't believe you did it." She said. He laughed. "Nothing to it. I don't know what I am or where I come from, but I'm a desert boy, no doubt. Always will be."

Later that night after they'd eaten, Victoria found herself back in the stables, sitting on the board that ran the south side of the building, her arms folded gently over one another. The moon was shining brightly through the window she was looking through, up at the light, but it was of no notice to her. She wondered many things, about her mother, whom she desperately needed to talk to, her boss, who she still didn't know what she was going to say to, and her friend. Not Link, Sam. Was he even still alive? Was he still in Hyrule? Perhaps the Potion Shop would be a good place to start.

She heard the door of the stables open, the quiet creaking making her right ear twitch. She didn't need to look to see who it was. It was getting easier to tell now.

"You look like you've got a lot on you mind." Shadow said. Then he laughed. "Wait, I know you do. Your thoughts are so…concentrated. It happens when you're worried, too, I've noticed."

Victoria didn't really want to say anything. Except perhaps to whirl on him and tell him to hurry up and put his arms around her waist already. There was another laugh. "All right, all right. If that's what you really want… you could listen to me talk for forever couldn't you?" A smile began to creep into her lips and she blew through her nostrils in a quiet chuckle.

"I suppose," she said softly, "It really depends on what you're talking about." He sat behind her, spooning against her back, his arms wrapped around her tight. "Does it now? So I could talk forever about my life seven years before this, my attendant in the castle whom I'm not sure is alive or not…" Here he paused, gripping her tighter. She smiled, leaning back and melding her neck against his.

"Tell me about your attendant," she whispered. Then she kissed the back of his ear ever so gently, pulling back around to meet his eyes.

"Well," he began, "his name was Arthur. He had these strange, red-violet eyes, kind of like yours." Shadow looked back. "Actually, they were a lot like yours." He blinked. The facial resemblance between them was so similar, but it was still mostly her mother. "He always said he had a daughter who would be about my age, if he knew she were alive. I think he showed me a picture, once. He was a good artist so he must've painted it himself."

"What did he do for you? Was he a servant?" she asked, merely curious, neither knowing that they were talking about her father.

"Yes," Shadow said, nodding, "he was. He cleaned my rooms, made my food when I wasn't eating with Ganondorf, which was, as the years wore on, quite frequent. Now that I'm thinking back, I remember his hair was very much the same color as yours, though he kept it long and bound in a ponytail so it wouldn't get in the way. He looked as though he could've once been someone dangerous, but had been forced to change and learn humility." He laughed. "I once asked him why he never cut his hair and he told me that it was simply because he couldn't find anything sharp to cut it with. He didn't let it grow to his waist, as awesome and funny as that might've been, but he kept it mid-shoulder blade length, simply because he could. He must've been some kind of magic user, I think. He couldn't have been able to keep it that length otherwise."

Victoria watched Shadow as he talked about this Arthur, who Victoria couldn't figure out why she felt seemed more like an old friend than someone she was only just now hearing about. Shadow was laughing and moving his hands about – he was very animated with his hands when he spoke – until finally a familiar dark presence began to creep inside his eyes.

"But, you see, I don't know what my leaving has done to him. Was he punished just because he spent the most time with me, or worse, was he killed? I can't… I can't even think about it."

A mental image brushed between their minds as she asked him what was wrong. The image was of the rugged but refined servant with red hair and red-violet eyes, and a wise, chiseled face. It was an impossible picture that Victoria couldn't believe that she'd seen. No, he was dead, she saw him die, hadn't she? She shook her head. Now it was Shadow's turn to ask if she was all right.

"Really, I'm fine. I just saw a picture in my mind – it must've come from you – and it reminded me of someone, that's all." Then she chuckled softly. "You know, the closer we get the better we have to restrain ourselves from looking into each other's minds. We need some ground rules on this heartline issue." Shadow nodded. "Right. And you have them all laid out, I presume?"

She laughed. It was as if a light and lit up and glowed from her whole being, or perhaps it was just the moonlight.

"Well, maybe I do, maybe I don't." She knew she was being… what was it? Coy. That was it. But she didn't mind the carelessness with which she teased him. It seemed very natural to her, though it bothered her slightly that it did. Still, she remembered what she'd told herself the moment she'd decided to pursue a… _romantic_ relationship with Shadow. She'd agreed to move away from being a child, and take on the responsibilities of the adult she could sense that she was quickly becoming.

Still, it saddened her at what she was to lose.

Oblivious to her train of thought, Shadow smiled. Somehow, he knew what she'd meant. The longer they spent together, the more they talked and laughed with each other, the deeper their love grew. He could feel that his heart beat only for her, as cheesy as that sounded, and it wasn't just the heartline magic talking.

"So what are they?" he asked her, running his gauntlet-covered fingers through her hair, her silky tresses brushing against wherever skin showed. She forced herself to remain in the conversation so Shadow wouldn't notice anything amiss.

"Well, I'd like our minds to be kept as separate as possible. Kind of like a 'you stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours' thing. But our souls are another matter." She lay against him, feeling his warm, comforting heat.

"They can be as close as they like."

"Souls are even more intimate than our physical beings. Marriage is just a physical front for the world, though it is also a very intimate experience you should only have with that one person or not at all." She reached up to twirl her fingers through _his_ hair, which was beginning to return to an all black hue. The yellow-blond bangs were disappearing, though they were still there, as were the chocolate brown tips, though they were more present still.

"You really believe that?" he asked her in a curiously surprised voice that was more curious than surprised.

She nodded with conviction. "Yes. Don't you?"

He wasn't sure, to be honest, but for her sake, he'd tell her the truth. "I don't really know. I wish I could lie and say that I did, or even better, I wish I could say it and mean it, but… I don't." His stroking was still going on, she observed, which was a good sign, though his soul was shivering with uncertainty.

"It's okay," she said softly. "At least you have the good intentions of not spoiling me for marriage, even if it is eventually to you. I suppose that counts." With a short happy sigh of finality she looked back at the farmhouse. "Let's go get some sleep. Good sleep. For if these are our last nights of living, let them be great ones, right?" Shadow couldn't agree more.

.oOo.

It was the next day, and Link and Shadow were leaning against Composers Flat and Sharp's graves, while waiting for Victoria to finish speaking to her mother.

She'd already visited her boss – what a story they'd had to tell him – and he understood. "I'll find someone to fill for ya," he'd told her, "don't you worry. Ya know, I think most people know that you three are our only hope 'ere. Good luck to ya, okay?"

She would take that luck to heart, surely.

"Mother?"

Victoria tip toed quietly into her mother's chamber, still wary of the coldness that the room contained. It bothered _her_ none, but she felt it very odd to watch one's breath flow out into puffs of vapor, yet her skin was as warm it it might've been on a fine summer day.

Sylvia sighed a little, but managed to keep it to herself. "Yes darling? Is there something you wanted of me?"

Victoria frowned, walking as close as she dared to the stream of light Sylvia stood in and sat down in front of it, curling her feet underneath her skirts. "I don't actually know. I suppose I wanted to talk to you about a few things… namely about the decision to, er… stay." She reckoned that she looked terribly uncomfortable asking this particular question. She did not know her mother as well as she had her father to be so familiar with her, but her adult character was so forward with her words it was hard not to withhold them from Sylvia.

"Stay?" Sylvia wondered, quite perplexed at her meaning. "What do you mean by that?" For indeed, the question had many meanings.

Victoria slowly turned her head towards her mother as she sighed deeply. The intensity her gaze held was much different than the childlike stare she'd given throughout her last visit here. It was harder, more concrete.

"I understand that my question means a lot, but I think I can sum it up pretty neatly in just two points." She held up two fingers to emphasize her words. "The first is… you." She frowned, frustrated. "I don't know how to explain it, really, other than the fact that you stand before me now, though you've explained to me clearly that you're no longer alive." Sylvia laughed. "Well, it's not really a question more than it is a statement, but I _can_ give you an answer. I appear before you now through a magic of my own devising. It is crude, but I'm sure you could perfect it in such a way that does not require the presence of a physical place, and instead, turn it into an object, like a mirror."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you bound yourself to this place so that I would have you available to me whenever I needed you?"

"In a way," her mother assured her, "but not so clear-cut as that. The moment you set foot in the corridor that leads here, I instantly appear here. I cannot always be _here_, because I have duties in the Kingdom. But I do come here when you have need of me. It would be better if I had an object to speak to you through, but I don't. I didn't have the time, and the magic's already set. That's why I hope you'll perfect the spell, so that you could use something portable to talk to your Princess through, when you come to be Queen."

Victoria frowned. "I should hope that day is very far from today.'

"As do I," Sylvia sighed. "At least I had you before my death. I would not wish the decision of choosing someone _else_ to take on this terrible mantle."

"Terrible? Is it really so?" Sylvia shook her head. "No, but I was born into it. It's different for someone who it is thrust upon, as I'm sure you must feel." Victoria shrugged. "At first, but it got easier to wrap my head around as the days passed. Anyway, we're getting away from things… you've answered my first question, but my second…" she trailed off, silent.

"Go on," Sylvia pressed gently.

Victoria waited a moment, as she put her thoughts in order. "If we do defeat Ganondorf, how real is the possibility that Princess Zelda will want us to turn back the years so that we can regain the time that we've lost?" Sylvia is quiet. "Well, she'd better not propose such a question!" Victoria blinked. "Mother, are you all right?" Sylvia blinked, and took stock of herself. She shook her head slowly.

"Forgive me, even though I do not know her as well as I know you, she is still my daughter as much as you are. But, to purely answer your question, I am certain it will be the first thing out of her mouth once Ganondorf is defeated. She will feel guilty for the weight she pressed on the Hero, and will want to pay him back for her personal crimes."

Victoria nodded. "But I would think that the consequences of that would be… bad. I don't know why, I just feel that way." She seemed awkward as she said this, quiet and reserved. Sylvia frowned.

"And it is right that you should. Let me tell you this; there are links in the universe that tie the laws of it together. A few of them are called links of time, and one of the greater ones runs directly through the Sacred Realm. Her plan, I believe, is to imprison him there, but such a dark will, if he finds that link, will cause a terrible destruction on Hyrule, if not the universe, should he come across it. You wouldn't be able to repair the damages as a child, not with the nightmares and the magic that would tear it your insides until you could no longer hold yourself together…"

"I would… disappear? Cease to exist?"

There was a distinct high pitch tone to her voice, and her sun-kissed skin had turned a sickly shade of white. Tears prickled in her eyes and the child-like quality from before had crept back into their depths. Sylvia wanted nothing more to console her child, but she had to tell her what must be done. Then she would comfort her.

"I'm afraid so, darling. Not only that, but the universe would begin to fall apart, unless one of the other Keepers found a way to keep it together. And me, for all my status, well, I have no power here. I could do nothing but watch it's destruction until it ate me, too. My sweet child, whatever ideals you hold for the Princess, they must cease to be at the moment she brings that idea up. To avoid a universal Armageddon, you must refuse her command. You do, technically outrank her. Once she realizes the truth of it, I'm sure she'll understand, and will put the idea out of her mind."

Victoria seemed to be comforted by that. She would make the Princess see reason, wherever she was. She was good at that.

"Just remember, child, that whatever happens, happens, and as long as you have a will, there too, is a way." Sylvia knelt down, and opened her arms to her daughter. Victoria took the opportunity, and Sylvia took her little girl in her arms. There was no warmth – a symbol of her out-of-this-world-ness – but it was not the alien kind. It was more the not dead but dead kind.

It didn't really matter. It was the gesture that counted. Victoria nodded. "I see. All I really needed was that, I think. Just to be reassured." She separated from her mother and stood up, wiping dirt from her skirts – the very same skirts she'd danced in at the desert, though they had been washed.

"Thank you, mother." Sylvia shook her head as her daughter walked away.

"No, little one, I thank you. I am happy to a have answered your questions."

Victoria smiled to herself as the door closed behind her.

In no time she was up and out the hole, brushing the dirt from her hair. "So, that's it?" Shadow asked her. "Yeah. I just need to hear something I already knew. It'll be fine. Now… where could _he_ be?" Link's eyebrows furrowed. "Who exactly are we looking for?"

She turned to him. "Do you remember Sam? Samuel, really, but I called him Sam? He was the potions master's apprentice. I wonder where he is…"

Shadow smiled. "Did it ever occur to you that he could be in the exact same place you left him?" She scowled. "The thought did cross my mind. But I last saw him disappear into a fire; I hadn't thought it was a likely possibility." Shadow did see her point there. He flashed another, more tender smile. "Well, it couldn't hurt to check, love."

So she did. They walked around for a little while to actually find the place (the entrance was somewhat hidden) and suddenly she found herself at the door, her knuckles poised to knock. But she found she couldn't. "I haven't seen him in years… what if he's forgotten me?" Link laughed. "How could he? How could anyone forget you?"

She scowled again, this time in a playful manner. "Stop that now…" she teased. But then she shook her head. This had to be done.

The knocks were slow and deliberate. When the door finally opened there stood a tall, well-built man with straight, stiff, shoulder-length black hair and ice blue eyes in a white coat. "Sam?" Victoria asked quietly, "Is that you?" The man's eyes furrowed. "Yes, I am called Sam. More often I'm Samuel, but yes. And who might you be?" She sighed.

"Don't you remember, Sam? It's me, Victoria! We grew up together!"

Sam's eyes looked off, as if remembering something, and then a light went off in his mind. "No… you can't be… you – why, you went missing ages ago!" She grinned. "So you do remember. And I've been back for quite some time, or have you not noticed?" Sam shook his head, laughing through his teeth.

"Well I ah, don't go out much. I usually send my apprentice to do grocery runs, but… well… where are my manners? Come in, come in! I do keep the place clean, you know." Victoria laughed. "Always the neat freak. I don't know if it will be for long. I just want to tell you some things." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "What kind of things? You sound like this is going to take you a while."

So she explained everything. It did take a while.

Sam was chopping some onions for a soup while Victoria chattered on. Link and Shadow were talking to his apprentice, a short girl with vivid green eyes and bright blond hair about the events that had passed the last seven years.

"So that's where you were," Sam said softly, "the whole time. But your body was-" "-taken care of. My mother assured me that. Without a soul or a heart, I was just a shell. My mind still functioned, but I've yet to access any memories it may have recorded. Not that I want to see them. But you do understand now, yes? What we have to do?" Sam nodded firmly. "I only just now got you back…" He sighed, chopping slightly faster. "All I can do is hope that you'll win. And if you can, escape with your life."

She smiled, leaning on the counter. "You do understand, Sam. I know you do. You simply shimmer with it." She put a hand to his left shoulder. Her eyes were clear and held a certain calm that hadn't been there before. She was different, and yet she was still his best friend.

"Yes, I do." Her smile grew. But he waved the knife as he spoke, done with his chopping. "But that doesn't mean I don't want you to go!"

She just laughed.

.oOo.

Later, back at her father's house, Victoria lay spooned against Shadow in her parents' bed. Link had opted to take the couch instead of the dusty guest bed she'd found. She told herself she's have to clean it with a quick spell in the morning.

Shadow was asleep, of course, but she obviously wasn't.

The memory of that image still haunted her. Somehow she knew she'd seen her father's face, and that she would see it again very soon. But she was quickly taken into sleep's arms, and so passed her possibly last night of living.

* * *

That last bit is simply just to end it. From the ending of Link and Mido's meeting onward this chapter simply drug on. I mean, it was like walking through mud with a headache. (I actually had the headache.)

It kind of sped up a little during Victoria and Shadow's heart to heart, but not much. Ugh. I just wanted to update because I won't be able to for a week. I'm leaving for my cousins house this weekend, but, you see, I don't have a laptop and I don't want to hog his all day by writing, so… yeah. But, well, I'll still be able to draw and such, so maybe when I get back I can upload stuff to deviantART.

If you could that would also be nice.


	12. The Final Battle Part I

Chapter Twelve: The Final Battle Part I

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 12

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: I wonder how you write 'I don't own this' in Japanese...

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

Final battle time! Yes! Sorry I have to break it up like this but it would be so long if I kept it in one chapter. You'll see why. ;) Enjoy!

* * *

When Victoria awoke the next morning, she saw that Shadow was still with her, his hands tied behind his head at the base of his neck, his eyes wide and his thoughts racing.

"I thought we agreed not to brush our thoughts against one another?" He said with a wry smile. She shrugged. "Perhaps I should take that back. It's so very hard not to, you know." Victoria used the sleeve of her nightgown to wipe the rest of the sleep from her eyes. "So, today's the day, huh?" Shadow nodded. "Yes. But, I can't help but feel so… purposeless. I don't know why, either. It's strange." Victoria thought for a moment. Try as she might, she couldn't think of an answer.

As she dressed in her parents' bathroom, slipping into her freshly clean Sheikah garb, her thoughts began to stir.

She felt uneasy as well, if not for the same reasons as Shadow did. As she wrapped her hands in the traditional bandages and bound her hair into a ponytail, she began to realize exactly why they felt this way. "This was supposed to be Link's fight. But now it's ours, too. We have a piece in all of it, now." Her hands gripped the sink as she spoke her thoughts aloud. "Ganon killed my mother, and before that, Shadow's parents. He raised him, even. That has to be why." Her eyebrows pinched together as she stared at the upper left corner of the sink with fierce concentration.

Shadow knocked on the door and slipped his head in. "Beg your pardon, but what has to be why?" She looked up sharply, and then back at him. "Um, I meant why we feel so uneasy. If Ganon hadn't deliberately got himself involved in our lives, this would be Link's fight and Link's fight alone. But he did, and so we have a stake in this." She turned back to the mirror.

"But, if we feel this way, I wonder how Link is holding up?"

When they were fully dressed, they walked out to find Link cooking Cucco eggs on the stove, the pan sizzling. "How do you like your eggs?" he asked cheerily. Shadow was speechless, but Victoria managed to stop gaping like a fish fast enough to spurt out, "Scrambled. The both of us." Link nodded and went back to work. They went to sit at the table in the parlor until Link came in with three plates, two scrambled, and his still whole.

"Stop looking at me like that!" he said as they stared at him in disbelief, "I was gonna go stir-crazy if I didn't do something!" Now that, Victoria could buy. "I guess I can see that. So to the castle, then?" Link shook his head. "No, something's compelling me to head for the Temple first. We'll go there."

After they ate, that's where they went.

Victoria could feel the power in the steps as she ran upwards, an ancient powerful force much like the spirit of the well but was much more good and wise. And as she passed through the doors, she felt the familiar lingering magic of her mother, remnants of the magic that kept her heart and soul bound in the Sacred Realm for seven years.

Link led the trio, his footsteps slow and echoing; and Victoria followed with Shadow at her side. When they reached the center of the stone pedestal, Victoria caught Sheik's aura quicker than any of the others and turned around. Noticing her moment, so did Link and Shadow. When he saw Sheik standing there with his arms folded, Link gently pushed through to see him.

"Sheik?" he called. "I've been waiting for you, Link," Sheik said softly, his one visible eye gloomy and downcast. Victoria, confused, set to digging deeper for the truth of the imbalance of his energies. "Link, the Hero of Time…" he continued, "You have over come many hardships and awakened six Sages, and now you have a final challenge; a showdown with Ganondorf, the King of Evil."

The single ruby orb flashed up to meet with Link's eyes. Sheik uncrossed his arms and Victoria's eyes widened as a particular thought occurred to her. He was still leaning against the entranceway, but kept speaking to Link. "Before that, however, I have things I want to tell only to you." Shadow frowned.

"Do we have to leave?" The Sheikah shook his head. "No. You need to hear this too. Please listen." Victoria's eyes came back into focus just a little. "We're listening." Sheik nodded and continued. "Another unknown legend of the triforce passed by the shadow folk, the Sheikah, is that if one were to seek the sacred golden triangle, the resting place is the Sacred Realm. The Sacred Realm is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart."

Victoria closed her eyes and dug deep in her memory. She'd heard this story before, from her father. When she was little he'd tell her all kinds of stories and show her how to fight… so he was teaching her to be a proper Sheikah after all.

Now Sheik walked forward a little, folding his arms again.

"If the heart one of who enters it is an evil heart; the Realm will become full of evil. If pure, the Realm will become paradise. The Triforce, the sacred triangle, is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom, and Courage. If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle had all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all."

"And if one with a heart without balance touches it, they will separate." Victoria said softly, "Am I correct?" Sheik, who seemed off balance for the first time, nodded, and regained his composure. "And so the one thing that person most believes in will stay with them, and the other two will separate, residing in two others chosen by destiny. If one seeks to gather them all, they must seek out these two, for they will be marked by the Triforce on the back of their hands."

Sheik nodded. "I see you know your history." He cleared his throat. "But seven years ago, Ganondorf, the King of Thieves, used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But, when he laid his hands on the Triforce, the legend came true."

"And this is good or bad?" Victoria growled. "Shadow! Be more polite!" He backed off, holding up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "I get it, I get it!"

Victoria could almost see Sheik's light, bitter smile as she turned back to look at him. "The Triforce separated into three parts, and only the Triforce of Power remained in Ganondorf's hands. The strength of the Triforce of Power enabled him to become a mighty, evil king, but his dark ambitions were not satisfied."

Shadow nodded. "He wanted the whole thing from the beginning. But he needed to pull the plug on the foretold Hero that would come to defend it, so he attacked the village a seer said the Hero was to be born in and got me instead." Sheik scoffed. "Really? I suppose that would fit.

"So to gain complete mastery of the world, at least our world if not worlds beyond ours, Ganondorf started looking for those chosen by destiny." Shadow sighed and folded his arms, looking at the ground. "That must've been about the time he discovered he had been raising his downfall instead of the Hero he'd been looking for from roughly ten years before."

Sheik's invisible smile widened, and was no longer bitter.

"Yes, but the Deceiver was always foretold to be a close relative of the Hero. For you see, the one who wields the Triforce of Courage is you, Link!"

Link took a step back. He didn't gasp, but it was like he couldn't believe it. "Wait a minute, the Deceiver?" Shadow asked skeptically, "What do you mean by that?" Sheik's single visible eye closed. "The Deceiver was to be the protector of the Hero in case he was unable to defend himself. Those that sought to cause him harm before he had a chance to prove himself would see the Deceiver and go for him instead. You, Shadow, are the Deceiver. But once Ganondorf realized he'd gotten you instead, your title changed. You became the Protector, as you were always meant to be, but I am terribly sorry it had to come to this."

Shadow blinked, immensely baffled. "And you said the Hero and the Protector were closely related?" Sheik opened his eye. "Yes. Though as of how closely… I cannot say. But the last one, the Triforce of Wisdom, resides in the seventh sage, destined to be the leader of them all."

Suddenly, a light began the shine from Sheik, and Victoria could feel the moon energy overflow the enigma that was Sheik. "Sheik… Sheik is nothing but a false consciousness, a disguise… why did I not see this before?" It was hardly more than a whisper, so neither Link nor Shadow heard. All they could see was the transformation and the bright insignia of the Triforce of Wisdom glowing on the right hand of the figure before them.

Then the light flashed dramatically and they covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. When it disappeared, Link and Shadow gasped, and Victoria stepped forward, her gaze transfixed.

"You…" was all she said.

"It is I, the Princess of Hyrule. Zelda." Victoria was startled, but it was a quiet realization. "Zelda, do you… do you know?" Zelda's calm blue eyes met her wide intense stare. "Know? Know what? I know all I need to know." Victoria sighed. "I suppose I'll tell you later. Now is not the time for such confessions." Zelda nodded. "A wise decision.

"I apologize for meeting you in disguise, but it was necessary to hide from the King of Evil. Please forgive me…" Victoria nodded. "We understand. I forgive you." Shadow did the same. "And I." Link was silent, with his face pinched together as he tried to sort out everything, but he nodded sharply so that she knew he'd forgiven her.

She walked closer to Link, brushing past Victoria and standing in front of Link. He looked up from his feet and into her eyes, and Victoria could only watch as the scene unfolded. "On that day seven years ago, Hyrule Castle was attacked. I saw you as I was escaping from the castle with my attendant, Impa. I thought…" here she broke down a little as she attempted to keep her composure, "I thought I should entrust the Ocarina to you… I thought that would be our best chance…" She bowed her head and bit her lip, biting back tears. And Link, in a sudden act he couldn't control, put his arms around her, bringing her close, her hands pressed against his chest. Her head rested on his right shoulder.

Once she could speak, she drew back a little, still in his embrace, and did so.

"As long as you held the Ocarina in your possession, I thought Ganondorf could never enter the Sacred Realm. But, something I never expected happened." Link laughed shakily. "But Zelda, we were kids… what was there to expect?" She gave a short, bitter laugh. "Exactly. After you opened the Door of Time, the Master Sword sealed you away in the Sacred Realm.

"Your spirit remained in the Sacred Realm… and then the Triforce fell into Ganondorf's hands. He went on to invade the Sacred Realm… Ganondorf had become the Evil King, and the Sacred Realm became a world of evil. What's left of it is what we have managed to save and keep alive all this time. All of this is an unfortunate coincidence."

Victoria felt the need to disagree. "No. I believe this path was fate, if not destiny. Your paths were always meant to run along this course, mine only happened upon it. What has happened here was meant to be. It would be a shame to reverse it." She didn't even voice her worries about her own fate.

Zelda finally broke off from Link's embrace. Link suddenly felt cold, as if Zelda had taken all of the warmth he had. "Perhaps, perhaps not." She sighed and looked into Link's eyes once more. "I passed myself off as a Sheikah boy and hoped that you would return. I waited for seven long years…" But then, the miraculous happened; she smiled.

"But now you're back!" she cried, grasping the shoulders of a surprised Link. "Now the dark age ruled by Ganondorf the Evil King will end!" She un-grasped his shoulders and looked back at Shadow and Victoria respectively. "The six Sages will open the sealed door and lure Ganondorf back into the Sacred Realm. I will then seal the door to the Sacred Realm from this world."

Victoria seemed edgy. "But that sounds like a temporary fix. Even the Door of Time can't keep him in… he'll find a way out." Zelda shook her head. "No, that won't happen. Once the Evil King is sealed, he'll vanish!" Victoria was still unconvinced. Zelda turned back to Link.

"Link… in order to do this, I need your courage again. Please protect me while I do my part. And here is a weapon given only to the chosen ones… the sacred Arrow of Light!"

She held up her hands dramatically, light bursting forth from an unknown source. In an instant, there was a second flash, and the magic of the light arrows flowed through Link's veins. "Thank you," he said softly, his eyes betraying what he truly wanted to say. She smiled, but that smile was short lived; a rumbling came out of nowhere that none of the heroes could interpret as a good thing.

"That rumbling… it can't be?" Zelda gasped. Suddenly a pink crystal formed around the Princess, and she banged on the glass from the inside. Link, in a panic, did the same to the outside but somehow he knew it was no use, _and_ who was causing it.

"Princess Zelda, you foolish traitor," boomed Ganondorf's voice, "I commend you for avoiding my pursuit for seven long years. But you let your guard down. I knew you would appear if I let this kid wander around!" Link snarled. "Kid? Just who do you think you are?" Ganondorf ignored him. Zelda was knocked unconscious by an invisible power and his attentions were turned back to her. Victoria and Shadow were powerless to do anything.

"My only mistake was to underestimate the power of this kid… no, the power of the Triforce of Courage! Now that I have the Triforce of Wisdom, once I have Courage, I can truly be ruler of the world!" There was a great cackling and then he spoke again as the crystal floated higher and began to disappear. "If you want to rescue Zelda, come to my castle!"

And then the world fell silent.

"Link?" Victoria asked, hesitant. Link's head snapped up, his eyes blazing. But strangely enough they were not blazing with anger. It was passion that burned with icy hot flames in his blue orbs.

"Come on, let's go. Now." The two nodded. They wouldn't miss it for the world.

.oOo.

Shadow stood once again at the foot of Ganon's Castle, the wind kicking up the dust around his feet. But this time it was different.

There actually seemed to be daylight filtering through the clouds behind him, the sun's light breaking through to darkness of the looming citadel before them. It curled around their heels, spurring the trio on with its warmth, whispering good, sweet things with its rays.

"The light is beginning to prevail," Victoria observed, "It's a good sign."

Shadow looked over the wide gap between where they were standing to the crumbling steps of the castle. "Good sign or not, we need a way over there. If I remember correctly, there used to be a rainbow bridge here before I left, but Ganondorf must've destroyed sometime after."

Link looked up at the sky. "Can we get a little help down here, huh?" There was some girlish laughter, and Nabooru's voice boomed out of nowhere. "Sure, kid! We'll help ya!" There was a crash from somewhere. "Uh, sorry guys, we gotta do this real quick. Rauru's being a pain." Shadow raised an eyebrow while Link and Victoria sniggered. There was an even louder crash, and Rauru's voice boomed, "Forgive us for the technical difficulties. Now, I'm assuming you can hear me?"

"Yeah, loud and clear," barked Shadow skeptically.

"We six will repair the bridge that used to be here so you three can enter the castle." Shadow nodded. "Gotcha."

"Oh, and the castle's keep is being guarded by six elemental barriers. Bring down those six barriers and save Princess Zelda!" Shadow shook his head. "Sounds like Ganondorf's done some renovations. I wonder where he put the servants… deeper underground?" Victoria shook his shoulder, pointing to the glowing strip of light. "Look!"

Rainbow colored balls of light began raining down from the sky and began to solidify the bridge, and the rainbow bridge became one once more! "Now that takes style," he said, smiling. Victoria flicked him in between the eyes, to which he recoiled and rubbed his nose. "Ouch!"

"Come on, let's go already!" Link called, already running across the bridge. "Hey," Shadow exclaimed, "wait for us!" Victoria laughed, sprinting off, "Us? Don't you mean you?" Shadow ran, calling after them. "But you have to watch out for the-"

BOOM.

He winced. "Beamos statues."

He entered to find a soot covered Link and a very surprised looking Victoria. Link pointed to Victoria, some soot shaking off onto the carpet. "Her fault." Her right hand was crackling with magic, which she hid behind her back. "Uh, oops?" Shadow shook his head. "We don't have time for 'oops' remember?" She nodded, looking sheepish. "Yeah, yeah…"

Link dusted himself off as best he could and they entered the next area.

"Wow," Shadow whistled, "he did some renovations all right." He scratched his head. "It's so completely different… how, in the world?" While Shadow was debating with himself how he could've rearranged the inside of the castle so completely and quickly in a matter of days, Victoria surveyed the room.

"Six doors, three of us, so two doors per person? I can take Shadow and Fire, What are you capable of taking?" Link shrugged. "I'm taking Forest, first. I'll decide next if I come out alive." Shadow looked over at the two of them. "I'll take Spirit and Water." Victoria shrugged. "Looks like you're stuck with Light."

Link looked over the room. "Let's get going then… oh, wait!" He took out the light arrow magic and gave three arrows to each of them. "Something tells me you'll be needing these. Good luck."

Shadow dove off for the Spirit Room while Link dove for the Forest. Victoria made a beeline for the Shadow Room and quickly found herself in the middle of a seemingly floating platform. "This room… it's made like the Shadow Temple, right?" she asked herself. "So a Sheikah should be able to do this easy!"

She started looking over the room for any hidden steps in the darkness, but they were father onward. "Damn. I guess I could jump across, but then I have a chance of falling…" Something brown caught the corner of her eye and when she realized what it was, she smiled. "A torch! That must be the key!" She aimed her stiff fingers towards the torch, gathering enough magical energy to shoot a blast of fire magic that caught the wood and revealed the steps she needed.

She slashed through the green bubble floating around, and soaked herself in Like Like goo. "Ugh, now I know how those guys felt. This is positively disgusting!" She shook it off with a quick spell and searched for the next clue. She found the next torch way off to her left, but managed a good shot, jumping across to the second large platform. She spotted a switch down some invisible stairs, so she jumped on it and heard a THUMP! back on the platform. When she climbed up, there was a huge chest, which she opened.

"The Golden Gauntlets… Link will be wanting these…"

She looked up at the door. "Now if I can just get over there…" The door wasn't unlocked yet, though. "That switch over there?" There was a rusty switch that could only be pressed in with the Megaton Hammer.

"But I don't have it with me…" Then she looked at the gauntlets. "Hmm. I wonder…" She slipped them on – a perfect fit – and walked briskly along the narrow invisible pathway. "I hope this works," she said to herself. And then she punched in the switch, the gears somehow making a clicking sound and the door opening. She smiled. "I love magic."

The platform was close enough that she could high jump safely to the last platform. When she entered the door, though, she hadn't expected to see a ball suspended in a purple glowing case. "Uh… wow. What do we do here?" Then she remembered the arrows Link had given her.

"That's what we have to do… okay." She fit the arrow into its notch, and let it fly. The ball engulfed the purple case in a flash of light, and Impa appeared, floating and shining brightly.

"The Shadow Barrier is disabled! Please save the Princess!"

And in a flash of purple light she was back at the beginning of the Shadow Room's door. "Whoa. Are they all like that?"

"Okay, that's it, I officially declare those spike traps menaces to everyone!" "Namely you, though." Shadow pouted, growling. "And being transported like that… that was disorienting. Hey, love, you all right?" She blinked. "Uh, yeah. Why?" Link shook his head. "Find anything I might need? Because I can't move the thing in front of the Light Room with my Silver Gauntlets."

"Oh! Here." She handed him the Golden Gauntlets. "But I have a feeling I'll need them when I go into the Fire Room so I want them back. After that you can have them though."

He nodded. "So what did you do in there?" She shrugged. "Jumped around, slashed a Green Bubble into oblivion, and got soaked in Like Like goo. Now I know what it feels like to you guys; it's disgusting!" Shadow laughed. "I feel you, love, I really do." She shook her head. They heard a loud crash from the other side of the room, but it had only been Link pulling the big stone out of the ground and hurtling it towards the barrier.

"Here you go." She blinked. "Wow, that was fast. Shadow, you don't mind me borrowing your Longshot do you?" He shook his head. "Whatever you need, love. Just bring it back in one piece, all right?" He winked.

And so he headed for the Water Room, and Link went into the Light Room. The only room left now was the Fire Room.

"Ah, feels perfect. A little muggy, but just like the volcano."

She looked over the room, which was long, red, and full of lava. "Okay, a little bit of lava jumping couldn't hurt, huh?" She got down on her hands and knees and slowly reached out to test the red liquid, but her hand just passed right through it. "What?" She swiped her hand through it again, and studied it. Then she stood up. "It's… a spell of some sort. Has to be. That's not real lava. So… why is it so hot? Hmm."

She looked across the room, spotting the silver rupees around the area. "Guess I have to retrieve those. Well, they're not getting collected with me standing here." She ran forward with and spotted a rupee on a platform to her left with a spinning line of fire. She smiled. "I'm looking forward to that one."

She looked to her right where, on a brown platform, sitting in plain sight, was a rupee. She simply reached over and snatched it. "Are they all so easy?" Then she strolled around the platform to the rupee with the spinning fire. She deposited it quickly and realigned herself with the main path soon after. Walking forward she noticed the other rupees were a bit too far out of her reach, but she also spotted a rather large stone column.

"I wonder…" She slipped on the Golden Gauntlets and grit her teeth, digging in for her elvish strength. It turned out, however, that she didn't need it, and she chucked the column clear across the room into the nonexistent lava. She turned around and puzzled over it for a moment before turning _back_ around to see she'd uncovered a silver rupee.

"I guess those extra senses kinda pay off…" She slipped off the gauntlets and ran to collect the last rupees. She high jumped across the platforms over to a silver rupee and a Torch Slug, which she quickly blasted with a rather weak ice attack, but killed it anyway.

"Haaa," she sighed, "I need to get better at using other attacks. My fire attacks won't do much if I keep on like this…" She collected the rupee and jumped across the part of the column that stuck out of the 'lava' and onto the last and final rupee. But then there was a rumbling sound from beneath and she found it was the platform; sinking.

"Damn!" She looked quickly around for anything she could use to escape, and she saw the edge of the column just in time. Before the platform disappeared under her feet, she hung onto it, clinging for dear life.

"I hate these platforms," she muttered, pushing herself back up.

She quickly ran to the nearest platform to the door and shot the Longshot to safety, glad to be out of the strange room.

And then she realized she was in another room similar to the one from before with a ball cover in a casing. She twirled her bow around before notching in the arrow and shooting it towards the ball, which grew larger and burst in a shower of light. Then Darunia appeared to her.

"The Fire Barrier is dispelled! Hurry up, Little Sister!" He winked at her before disappearing and sending her back to the entrance,

"Wow," she said, shaking her head to regain balance, "that's still really disorienting." Then she looked up and saw the beams of light beginning to fade and the barrier disappear. "Yes! We've done it!"

She ran over to where Shadow and Link were standing. "I had to be pretty inventive the last part of the room; I didn't have a mirror or any fire arrows. So I just used the extra light arrow and shot it. Apparently I got lucky." Link blanched. "Sorry. I should've known about the mirror." Shadow patted him on the back, smiling apologetically. "It's okay. You couldn't have known about the fire arrow, though." Link gave in and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Victoria looked down into the darkness. She briefly wondered if they were really ready for this, but pushed the thought aside before she went too far down that road. "Well, come on, let's go!"

Link and Shadow nodded. "Right!"

So they did.

The first room was nothing but bats, fire bats to be precise, but Victoria chose that moment to practice her ice spells, and shot of five of them in quick succession. She nodded in triumph as they all fell to the ground, shattering into tiny bits of blue-black smoke.

"Yes! I am getting better!" Shadow smiled. "On your own?" She nodded excitedly as they proceeded forward.

Link stepped backwards as two Lizafols dropped from the ceiling in the next room. "Hmm," Victoria observed, "seems like he really doesn't want visitors." Shadow looked up at the ceiling. "What I want to know is how they got up there in the first place."

"Hey!" Link snapped, "Keep fighting, less jabbering!" Shadow straightened up stiffly and mock saluted him. "Yes, sir!" Victoria whacked him on the back of his head and proceeded to fire off more ice spells and an occasional thunder spell for good measure. Shadow managed to kill off the weaker of the two, and Link finished the remaining one sometime right after. They exited the room and paused when they heard a strange sound that made Shadow's spine crawl.

"It's his organ… he must be… playing it while he's waiting."

Shadow's eyes looked far-off and distant. "Shadow?" Victoria whispered, grasping his right arm and shaking him gently, "We have to keep moving." He blinked, and they instantly came back into focus. He looked to her and nodded. "Right."

The next room had a chest surrounded in a pillar of fire, which was hot even to Victoria's touch. "Must be a really powerful charm otherwise, hey, look out!"

Two Stalfos dropped down from the ceiling and began fighting them. One had caught Victoria off guard, and cornered her, but Shadow slashed through it, killing it, and brought her close. "Don't do that again…" he whispered to her. She nodded, pulling back. "I'll try."

Link destroyed the other one quickly with little trouble.

"It's a big key chest," Link said softly, "Victoria, why don't you take it? I think you should." Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What, you don't trust yourself?" Link shook his head. "No, that's not it. I just feel she should have it for some reason." She shrugged,

"Well, for whatever reason, I've got it so let's move on."

The trio exited the door and climbed several more steps to the next room.

"The music, it's getting louder," Shadow observed. "I know," Victoria answered, "we must be getting close."

In the next room there were two Iron Knuckles standing in the middle of the room, but they weren't moving. "I'm gonna scout ahead, okay?" Victoria said, running beyond them and headed for the door, once she got to it, some bars appeared _behind_ her, and the Iron Knuckles came to life!

"No!" she cried, clinging to the bars. "Shadow!"

He called to her. "You go on! We'll catch up, I promise!" Reluctant to leave but knowing she had to make sure the rest of the way was clear, she ran ahead.

She ran up several stairs, through many, many doors, and up a giant, seemingly endless stairway, up to the final door. The music was loudest here, so she knew Ganondorf was on the other side. Something compelled her to press forward, and she would never know what exactly had made her go, why she didn't wait, but she pressed her hands against the door, and entered.

The room was huge.

The music was hauntingly beautiful. She wanted to speak, to get his attention, but something caught in her throat and made speech impossible. She walked a couple steps, the echoes making him twitch. He stopped playing. When he turned around to meet her eyes, she didn't flinch or gasp.

She studied the man, with his beady hawk eyes, his wild, receding, orange-red hair, and broad, well-built frame, and she wondered. How had her mother stood up to this man? Granted, he hadn't been so formidable then; just a thief and a killer – hardly something worth cowering at, especially when she had been so powerful at the time.

And he studied her right back.

He studied her wide, curious eyes, the blood red pools that were the sign of the Sheikah. How much she looked like the sorceress that had cursed Shadow so very many years ago. The one he'd killed.

"You…" she finally spoke, "You killed my mother."

He laughed, a short, loud bark. "You can't be the sorceress's kid from seven years ago can you?" He smirked. "If you are you've grown up into a pretty little thing. Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" She sneered. "I saw you as you were chasing the Princess that night, do you remember?" His eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Really? The Princess…"

After some thought, a memory came to him. "No way you were that runt that kid hero was protecting? That was you? Ha! You've grown up some, child, but soon, that won't matter. Unless… you'd like to stand by my side and be my pet? I'd treat you well if you obey me properly, you know, not unlike the little ingrate you're with now."

Her growl turned into a sneer. "Why you! Shadow's not an ingrate! You're just mad that the kid you kidnapped eighteen years ago wasn't the one you wanted!"

Here Ganondorf stood up and shot a wave of darkness towards her, crippling her and sending her backwards. "Silence, pet! You really should've learned to obey your elders like I told you to!" She got up, shaking off the darkness. "Really? So you do remember!" She jumped forward, summoning her staff and blasting him with fire. Most of it he sent away with a break shield, which threw her back, though she managed to land on her feet. The rest barely even damaged him.

"What? At point-blank range you should have been obliterated!"

Ganondorf laughed again, this time long and hard. When he stopped he looked down at her. "Really, now? You underestimate me, girl!" Suddenly, the door behind them opened and a familiar figure stepped through. Victoria whipped around to her right, most of her body still facing Ganondorf.

"Shadow?"

.oOo.

He'd just defeated the black Iron Knuckle when the bars opened again. Shadow made a bolt for them, but stopped.

"Link!" Link looked back, still battling his own Iron Knuckle. "No, you go! Victoria might need you! I'm almost done, now go!"

Shadow didn't hesitate.

Shadow ran and ran up the same steps and doorways, and the never-ending staircase. The one thing he realized before arriving at the final door was that there hadn't been any music the whole time. None.

That was a bad sign.

So he entered.

.oOo.

"Shadow?"

Shadow stood at the entranceway looking around the room in wonder and fear. When he heard his name being called, his head snapped up, and he saw Victoria standing exactly in the middle between where he and Ganondorf were standing.

She was wielding her staff in her right hand, and her bow and arrows were strapped to her back, some of the arrows scattered across the room.

"Victoria…" he whispered softly. He seemed a little out of place.

"Well, well," Ganondorf said, sneering, "so the prodigal son returns. Have you come to apologize for your failures and join me?" Shadow finally returned to reality and his anger snapped. "Son? I'm not your son! I'm just the kid whose parents you murdered and the raised as your own because you thought you were raising the Hero!"

Ganondorf smiled evilly, but did not move, even though Shadow did. Shadow moved to Victoria's side and stayed there, Victoria turned to watch him with an expression half of fear for him, and half skepticism.

"That is true, I did murder your parents, but they were pompous nobles anyhow; you would've been pampered beyond your wildest dreams… in my eyes; I did you a favor, boy!" He was now grinning wickedly, a touch of insanity lingering in his wild eyes. "Nobility?" Shadow asked no one in particular, "My blood is… noble?" Ganondorf huffed.

"Not anymore. Raising you has made you a right and proper warrior. You know, that friend of yours that you travel with, the Hero? He's nobility too. I should've killed that bitch that got away when I had the chance… otherwise I would've gotten you both. What a score that would've been!"

Shadow paused, looking down on the ground with a possible realization.

"Was she… my mother? The one that got away?" Ganondorf laughed, another short bark. "Don't make me laugh; goddesses, no! But, what does it matter? I'm about to kill you anyway…"

Shadow growled. "Not if I have a say in it!"

Ganondorf grinned. "Which, you don't. Observe." A pink crystal appeared, the very same crystal Zelda was held in. It rose above them, poised high against the ceiling. "You have no power here, boy!" He sent a wave of corrupted darkness towards Victoria, which Shadow jumped in front of, holding it back as much as possible with his own brand of shadows.

"I do… so… have power," he croaked, blood beginning to fall from his nose, the shaking and jerking and the strain of keeping up the stream of energy was just too much and then: he snapped.

The power exploded and rendered him almost unconscious, blood still dripping from his nostrils. Victoria knelt down beside him to check if he was still alive, and upon finding that he was, looked up, growling. "You monster!" Ganondorf laughed. "Why, thank you young lady. That's what I am after all."

She snarled. "No… you're not a monster, Ganondorf," she said as she stood up, "you're just a scared, purposeless puppet of destiny that needs to wake up and smell his defeat already!" She clenched her right fist in a motion of finality. "Because we're just the welcome wagon! The real fight hasn't even started!" Ganondorf looked shocked for a moment, but then closed his eyes.

"Girl… that was a very moving speech. But…"

He looked up, his eyes open again. "…if what you say is true, then I don't need you here, nagging and fighting with your _purposeless_ magic." He practically spat out the word.

"You've outlived my interest in you, girl. Time to join your mother, love."

He raised his right arm and summoned a great ball of darkness. Victoria stepped back. "No…" she said, shaking her head, taking another step back.

"No!"

Without another word, Ganondorf shot off a wave off power, and the ball of darkness hit her square in the chest, her world going black.

* * *

I'm so sorry, this just seemed the perfect time to put in an ending and it's already up to 20 pages in Word, so, yeah. Don't you worry, I'm too worked up to stop now! I'll even try to update before Saturday, how's that?

Let me know if there's anything that confuses you or that I need to explain, okies?


	13. The Final Battle Part II

Chapter Thirteen: The Final Battle Part II

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 13

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: Don't tell me I forgot this the last two chapters… blast it, I did. Well, I don't own this, okay? (I FIXED IT NOW. :D)

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

This is the last real chapter of the story. w00t! There's still an epilogue to go, but, well, it kinda sort doesn't really count. I'm just gonna say that this is all gonna be different from here on in.

* * *

A man with long raven-red hair slipped through the shadows. Only he had escaped the massacre and in the same instant, saved the castle's archives. He had a thin but chiseled face, and sharp red-violet eyes.

The eyes of a Sheikah.

He had acquired better clothing than the servant's clothes he'd worn before, a thin white over-shirt with long fleece sleeve, black slacks, boots, and a dark blue robe length vest that was tied loosely to his waist with a belt. He knew something was going to happen at the castle but he didn't know what.

"He must have the Princess," he muttered, "or perhaps Shadow came back."

He had no weapons, just his magic, and a single healing fairy in a bottle, which he had stored in a pocket of magic because holding it would only slow him down.

It was only when he spotted the travelers entering the castle that he followed them and waited, watching. They took down the barriers with speed and precision, and entered the castle's keep without hesitation. There was something that bothered him, though.

"That was Shadow," he whispered again to himself, "and the Hero, perhaps? But… who was the girl? She was dressed in the traditional clothing, could she be a Sheikah? I've seen her before, I just know I have!"

He followed them further, and watched the girl take down the first set of bats. He felt an odd swell of pride in his heart. How she looked just like his little girl, only she fought with Sylvia's grace and poise. He did not speak for his fear of being caught was too far ingrained in him. At first, it had been necessary to survive in Ganondorf's castle, but now it was more of a hindrance. He had to know who she was!

And when she was trapped by the Stalfos and then saved by Shadow, several feelings bombarded him; fear, relief, and confusion. He didn't understand why he felt these things, but somehow he knew if he followed them he would arrive at the answers he sought.

Then she was separated from them. Her face grew pained, and the little he'd learned about the three fighters in the time that he'd watched them made his heart wrench. It seemed that the Hero was indeed the Hero of Time, but Shadow and the girl were another matter. They were close, very close. They fought together, almost as one, and the former servant was suddenly very proud of Shadow. Somehow he'd grown up and become a great man, someone the Sheikah could respect.

When the bars opened again Shadow left, leaving the Hero to fight off the white Iron Knuckle alone.

Link, this Hero, was in trouble. He said he could fight off the Iron Knuckle alone but now he wasn't so sure. He had a red potion he could drink to heal himself, but the creature was moving too fast for him to run off and take a break. He jumped back and slashed forward; one of the only things that seemed to work against these creatures, but was quickly thrown back by a quick jolt to the chest.

The Iron Knuckle had thrust the blunt pole of the axe into his chest, sending him backwards, though he'd managed to keep a grip on his sword. However, a part of him knew he wouldn't recover his wits in time to parry another blow, so this could quite possibly be his end.

"No… I can't fail the Princess now…"

The former servant heard this, and jumped in front of him, blasting the remaining strength from the Iron Knuckle with a blast of Sheikah magic. When he was certain the creature was dead, he turned to Link.

"Are you all right, boy?" Link blinked. When his sight came back into focus, he realized he was staring into an unfamiliar but calming face. "Who.. who are you?" The man helped him up. After this he promptly thanked the man and downed the red potion, his energy returning tenfold.

"My name is Arthur. I am a Sheikah. You must be the Hero." Link sighed. "_My_ name is Link, but I suppose if you Sheikah insist on calling me Hero, so be it." Arthur laughed. "Link it is, but you're still the Hero of Time."

Link looked up. This Sheikah was different.

"You're… different from the rest. Most don't really care if I want to be called by my name or not." Arthur laughed a second time.

"I have long been a prisoner of this castle and have only recently been able to escape." Link was puzzled. "Prisoner?" Arthur nodded. "There used to be servants quarters here, instead of this maze of rooms and traps you see." Link gasped quietly. "And what happened to the servants?" Arthur sighed. "Killed. All of them. I'm certain I was the only one to escape."

Link's expression was a mixture of fear and disgust.

"So then, why come back?" Arthur smiled bitterly. "I was curious. And when I saw the three of you, I knew something was about to happen." He looked toward the door, and back at Link.

"Tell me," he said quickly, "who was the girl who was with you?" Link, who was slightly confused but trusted the man, told him. "That was Victoria. She's my friend. Shadow's friend too." Arthur smiled. "Him I know. I was his attendant when the servant's quarters were still here. They seemed to be a little more than friends from what I saw. Wait…" He paused, his face pinching, "did you say Victoria?"

Link nodded. "Yes, why do you ask?"

There was an inkling of a thought in the back of Arthur's mind, long buried in the recesses of his memory. "No… it can't be…" He looked back at the door. He stared at it for the longest time before running for the darkness and leaving a dumbfounded Link standing there staring after him.

.oOo.

Ganondorf laughed. Long and hard.

Victoria's limp body lay just past Shadow's, her beautiful hair, though still bound, was splayed like dead tendrils of fire across the marble floor, Shadow watching but not really able to react or do much of anything. In fact, his spirit was frozen. Something was wrong.

Ganondorf moved to strike down whatever life was left in Shadow, but a soft crying stopped him from doing so.

He looked up. And when he did, he could not believe his eyes.

There was, not too far away from Victoria, a yard or so he could guess, a little girl in a white dress, with laces and finery and shiny trinkets galore; a Princess. There was even a little tiara on this girl's head of soft raven-red locks, wavy, curly and very pretty. But she was transparent; see-through. He couldn't imagine exactly what she was.

In reality it was Victoria; or rather, her soul. Ganondorf's blast had cleanly separated her soul from her body, and revealed her true self. This was the last of her childish self, for indeed her mind and heart had caught up with the age gap from the shifting times. However, her soul hadn't. So there it sat, separated from its vessel, and crying.

Its tiny child hands were against its transparent face, the tears forming at her eyes and rolling down her child cheeks, but not reaching the ground once they fell, for they had no substance.

"Mama…" it cried softly, "Where are you?"

Ganondorf was about to break the tender moment when something else caught his eye and completely immobilized him.

It was the sorceress. She, too, was dressed in finery and lace, and had a much more ornate crown upon her forehead. Lady Sylvia knelt down beside the little girl, her own being transparent because this was all the corporeal form she could muster for all the power she had. She laid her slender hands on the girl's shoulders and whispered softly to her.

"I'm here little one. Do not fear." The girl looked up. "Mama!" The girl's sad lips broke into a wide smile and she hugged the woman who looked down sadly at the soul of her child. "Love, listen, here's what I need you to do, all right?" But before she could tell her, the door opened again, this time revealing someone Sylvia could never have expected.

It was Arthur.

He looked over the scene with wide eyes. "Filthy servant," Ganondorf finally barked, "what are you doing still alive?" Arthur's attention shifted sharply. "I am your servant no more. As for what I'm doing alive, perhaps I got lucky, or perhaps it was fate. But nonetheless, I'm here, aren't I?" Ganondorf was shocked. No one talked to him like that anymore!

"Silence, Hylian slime!" It was to this that Sylvia finally spoke.

"He is no more slime than you are noble. He is a good man with a heart far stronger than yours." It was a quiet declaration, but her words held power; every breath she seemed to take shimmered with it.

She quickly turned her attention to the little girl in her arms. "Listen, and do this quickly; you must return to your vessel." The girl's head turned around quizzically. "Why? If I go, you'll go…" she hugged her mother tighter, tears threatening to form again, "…and I don't want you to go." Sylvia smiled softly as she stroked the lovely wavy red locks. "But you must; if you don't, you'll die, and you don't want that, do you?"

Suddenly the girl looked over at the fallen Shadow.

"No! Then he'll…" She looked back to her mother. Sylvia nodded. "He'll die too." The girl, realizing what she needed to do, turned away and took a few steps back to her limp vessel's form. She stopped for a moment, debating whether she should turn back or not, but took a quick look at Shadow and began to walk once more, faster and almost at a run.

And the Time Queen watched as her Princess finally grew up.

No longer was there a little girl standing there in front of her larger look-alike, but Victoria's soul – grown up now – her little white dress now a beautiful white gown also decorated with finery and lace.

"Mother, thank you," was all she said before entering her vessel at last.

Slowly, the color began to return to her face, and her heart beat faster, and her fiery curls began to blaze once more. Shadow's spirit was no longer frozen and he was able to sit himself up long enough to watch a scene occur between Sylvia and Arthur.

"Sylvia?" Arthur asked with a considerable amount of skepticism in his voice. It quivered, as if he were unsure. He walked closer, wanting to see for himself that this was really her. But, to answer his question, she held up and hand, stopping him from coming any closer. "I'm… not really here, Arthur. But yes, it is me. You understand, don't you?"

Arthur's eyes, once hopeful, dimmed a little. "You don't know how much I've missed you…" Try as he might, he could not summon up a tear. A part of him knew she had passed into her role and she could not come back from it. She smiled bitterly. How she wanted to push the single lock of hair that always fell over his left eye when he was sad and kiss his forehead and tell him it would be all right.

"I do know, love, and I know how much you've missed our little girl."

Before he could say anything, however, she turned to Shadow and knelt beside him. She studied him for a moment, and then reached out to 'caress' his face. To him it was like a warm gust of air chasing away the cold he was certainly feeling, it wasn't discomforting in the least. She smiled sadly.

"You don't know how sorry I am for what I've done to you… but if I hadn't…" She sighed and looked beyond Shadow, her ice blue eyes focusing and un-focusing on something in the background.

Finally Shadow managed to croak out a whisper, "But… I forgive… you." Then he coughed, a long and hacking cough, but somehow it reenergized his vocal chords and when next he spoke it was stronger than before. "You had to choose the least harming curse you could, and so you did. I don't blame you at all. In fact, I thank you. If it weren't for what you did, I might not be here now." He smiled, wiping off the dry blood from his nose. "Please, don't be sorry."

When she focused on him again it took a moment to let the words sink in, but when they did, she realized just how much she had been waiting to hear those words. "Thank you," she said softly, before standing up.

"You know, I hate to break the tender moment here, but I'd really like to get along with conquering the world already…" Sylvia whipped around to her left, her transparent skirts flying. "Ganondorf, let me say this to you; you will fail. It doesn't matter if there is anyone left standing tonight, by your hands or another's you will fail. I just want you to know that." Ganondorf scoffed.

"Rubbish. Your words mean nothing to me; you're dead, I don't need to fear you anymore." Sylvia's lips turned into a thin, malicious smile. "Did I say it was me you needed to fear?" Ganondorf shivered, and again froze on the spot.

And with that, she disappeared in a wave of sparkling light that fluttered around the room and gradually faded away. It was right after this that Victoria's eyelids began to flutter, and she sat up. For a moment, she was disoriented, and unsure where she was and why she was there, but as her vision sharpened and her memory quickly returned, she was quickly jolted back into reality and she stood up, ready for anything.

Except the person she saw when she turned around.

There he was, save for the servant's clothing she'd seen him wear in Shadow's memory. She walked up to him slowly, as if she was in a dream or he was merely an apparition. Both were afraid to speak. Shadow was now standing, watching the scene, helpless to say anything lest he break the magic of the moment. In an action that Victoria could not control, she put her hand to his face, scruffy with unshaved stubble, but she didn't care.

"You're… real… you're… really here." Arthur, for a single instant, didn't know what she was talking about, but then he remembered what Sylvia had said about their daughter. Victoria. He gasped, quietly, and his lips only parted slightly as his eyes widened in recognition.

"Victoria," he whispered, "my little girl." He smiled, a single tear rolling down his left cheek. "You've grown so much…" She nodded slowly, blushing a little, her hand returning to her side. "I know." He was about to say more, but Ganondorf had returned to his senses and resumed his taunting of the three – who, in his opinion, were powerless to stop him – and eventually killing them; once he got around to it. He liked playing with his prey.

"What a touching reunion… I suppose you'd like to die together, yes? I guess I could fulfill that request, provided you go quietly." Shadow stepped back and put his left arm out across in an attempt to protect them. Ganondorf cackled.

"No? You'd rather die protecting them, huh, boy? Very well." Victoria turned around in her father's grasp, and touched his left shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. He shot a look in her direction. "I'm _trying_ to do _something_! If someone doesn't do something, we'll all be killed!" Arthur frowned. "I don't like the looks of this… it seems that no matter what we do, we're going to die anyway. The only things that can even wound him are things we don't have. And, of course, the only thing that can kill him is the Master Sword."

Suddenly Victoria remembered that she still had the last Light Arrow that Link had given her. "What exactly are things that can wound him again?" Arthur frowned. "Objects of the Light, such as swords, daggers, arrows… why ask at a time like this?"

Victoria moved swiftly to the right, and quickly drew and aimed her last Light Arrow. She let it fly just as soon as he let off a blasting wave of darkness, which Victoria saw coming and managed to conjure up a shield of light to fend it off. They heard Ganondorf cry out in anguish, and when the smoke cleared, they were faced with a very angry Ganondorf, who was crackling with excess light energy.

Victoria blinked. "So maybe that wasn't the best idea."

Shadow scoffed. "I think all it did was postpone our deaths." The door behind them opened a third time, revealing Link. "Took your time, did you?" Shadow called. "Oh hush!" he hissed. Then he noticed Arthur. "What are you doing here?" he asked him. Arthur's face pinched as he grasped for a limiting response. Finding none, he sighed and replied, "It's a long story and we haven't the time. If we live through this, I'll tell you."

The three stepped back as Link stepped forward, the Master Sword drawn. Ganondorf stopped for a moment to study the boy before speaking. He grinned evilly.

"The Triforce parts are resonating. They are trying to become one once again. The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago… I didn't expect they would be hidden in you two!" Here he leaned back and let loose a loud round of laughter. Link examined his sword hand he was surprised to find the Triforce of Courage burning brightly. He had no doubt that the Triforce of Wisdom was shining on Zelda's hand. When Ganondorf stopped, he looked across the floor around to each and every one of them. Link stood in front of the others, while Shadow and Victoria stood close, but without their hands linked, and Arthur stood sort of behind them to their left, observing the scene.

"And now," he continued, "finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here!"

He held up his right hand, upon which the Triforce of Power glowed. He barked, "These toys are too much for you! I command you to return them to me!" before sending out a swirled wave of darkness the four on the ground had to struggle to stay standing in.

Navi called out to Link, unable to stand the darkness. "Link! I can't help you! Because of the waves of darkness can't get close!" And then she was blown off against the wall, and fell to the floor. "Navi!" He called back, shocked.

His attention was snapped back to Ganondorf as he curled in on himself and then shot a thunderous shockwave of power outwards. His organ crumbled to pieces and several sections of the floor began to fall down, dragging the carpet and organ debris with them. Link and the others had to jump around in order to avoid being caught down with them. When all was said and done, Ganondorf floated up in the air, his whole aura crackling with dark, corrupted energy,

"Die fast, runt!" he taunted, singling out Link and setting a barrier him, blocking out Victoria and her father. "No!" she cried, banging on the barrier with her fury and her elvish strength, but it was no use. It was set. What made matters worse was that Shadow was on the other side, with Link. Somehow he'd managed to stay with him, while they were trapped on the other side. He put his hands against hers, matching them on the barrier wall.

"I promise to try and not get killed, okay? There's nothing you can do here." He flashed a smile before running off to help Link.

Victoria sighed in frustration. She hated being helpless. She turned around and gently scooped Navi into her hands, sighing. She worriedly glanced back to watch the fight as it had already begun.

"They'll get him, princess, Shadow's a good person and a good fighter. Link is lucky to have him at his side." Her father tenderly put his hands on her shoulders and slowly began to massage them. How she had forgotten how much her father's touch soothed her aching muscles back when she was a child. "You know, I thought you died that day, Father. What… what really happened?" Arthur sighed, though he still massaged his daughter's shoulders.

_(Flashback)_

'_After I made sure you left the village, I didn't have any strength left to move the debris that was piled all over me. I waited for hours, I think a day until someone found me, but it definitely wasn't who I expected.'_

"_Ooh, look here Kotake, it's the Sheikah's pretty boy king! He'll make a fine slave for Master Ganondorf won't he?" _

"_Yes, yes, let's take him, Koume. He's injured, but we'll fix him up soon enough. Must've been trying to save the village, the poor man." Koume huffed. "What does it matter? Cuff him or something so we can bring him to the Master!" Kotake scowled. "He's not in fit walking condition, Koume, he has to be healed first." _

_Koume grit her teeth. "Well put him on a cot and levitate it for all I care! We just need to take him!" Koume left to search for any other possible slaves while Kotake cleared the debris and conjured a cot. _

'_They took me and healed me and when they presented me to Ganondorf in chains, he passed me off as one of his servants.'_

"_My son, Shadow, needs an attendant, though. Didn't the spoiled brat Zelda have one? Let him have that job."_

'_And so that's how I met him. I taught him things whenever I could get him alone, good things, manners, how to be polite, even how to fight when he was having trouble with the Shadow Tamer training Ganondorf was putting him through, and the like. But I also cleaned his room, laundered his clothing, occasionally I would teach him how to do these things and whenever he could he'd do them on his own. _

'_It gave me hope that truly could be the Hero's protector someday. Oh yes, I knew what he was to the prophecy. It was… a very humbling experience being his attendant, a slave in general, really. After a while it didn't really matter to me. I had to care for Shadow as much as I could, and being his attendant gave me a sort of freedom most of the others didn't have; privacy. I explored the castle and found the original archives and showed them to Shadow. I mapped them out and did some recording as I mapped out the castle. Well… not like it would do much good now._

'_But I also found the original blueprints for Hyrule Castle. If I ever had the chance to escape, I had to take them with me. It wasn't until Shadow's seventeenth birthday things started to get strange. Ganondorf would beat him, only once or twice a month at first, but by the time he turned eighteen and completed his Shadow Tamer trials, things really heated up._

'_Ganondorf beat him more and more often and without excuse, until finally Shadow left. Before he told me he had been sneaking out and meeting with the Hero and befriending him. He was worried for his safety now that Ganondorf knew. It was that day he left and I never saw him after that, until now._

'_Shortly after that, Ganondorf went on a rampage and destroyed the servants' quarters. I managed to take the core important sections of the archives and save them, the others were unfortunately lost in his destruction. As far as I know I'm the only one who managed to escape, so all the other servants must have been killed. I acquired new, better clothing – no, I didn't steal them, I actually bought them from a traveling merchant on one of Hyrule Field's main roads – and a few healing items. All I have left is a single fairy, however. _

'_And so I watched for any signs of something happening and when Shadow and Link appeared with you, I knew I had to follow.'_

_(End Flashback)_

"But you didn't know it was me, did you?" Arthur shook his head. "I hadn't seen you since you were ten. I didn't even know if you were alive. I did note your striking resemblance to your mother, but I was unable to make the connection."

He sighed. "I feel like such a failure in that respect."

Victoria smiled softly and moved that stray lock of hair in front of his left eye and set it behind his ear. "You yourself said you hadn't seen me since I was ten. Don't blame yourself for that. Even I couldn't recognize myself the first time I saw my reflection."

Arthur laughed softly, but then looked up sharply. His face pinched and he looked concerned. "Something's wrong. Shadow looks tired." Victoria jumped up and pressed herself against the barrier, searching for the problem.

Shadow and Link knew they had Ganondorf at the end of his rope by the time he started flinging balls of darkness every time they took a step. "Damn! This is fucking crazy! I don't have time to shoot anything much less aim!" Link muttered hotly. Shadow raised a tired eyebrow. "I didn't know you could curse like that…"

"Shadow!" Link barked, "Focus!" Shadow nodded. "Right. I would suggest waiting until he starts charging and then shoot. Might help if you stop trying to have perfect aim and just let them fly." Link scowled. "But… my arrows…" Shadow shot him a look. "You have like fifty arrows left, mate, you have more than enough." Link grudgingly realized he was right.

Once Ganondorf was charging his biggest ball of energy yet, Link shot five Light Arrows off in rapid succession, nailing Ganondorf in several spots, especially one even Ganondorf didn't want to have hit. He fell to the ground crippled while Link and Shadow delivered the ending blows, and the barriers shattered; the floor somehow restoring itself.

"The Great… Evil Ganondorf beaten by… these kids?" Ganondorf asked no one as he clutched his bleeding chest. Shadow looked at his bloody Master Sword copy and then turned to watch as Ganondorf coughed up a few puddles of blood. He said Link's name once, and then used his remaining strength to stand up.

He began to glow with power, and then in a flash of light, the whole room shattered. When the dust cleared, there was no ceiling, barely any walls, and only one way to go from where they were; down.

It was at this point that Ganondorf fell face forward to the floor, his last breath spent.

Zelda's crystal began to slowly descend from the sky and shattered once she landed. She looked back at Ganondorf, her eyes dark. "Ganondorf…" she said softly, "… pitiful man. Without a strong, righteous mind he could not control the power of the gods, and…"

Suddenly there was a rumbling and only Arthur knew what it was. With a sickened look on his face, he said, "Ganondorf's last act is trying to crush us in the ruins of the tower. We must escape before it does!" Zelda nodded. "I'll open any obstacles along the way!"

The five ran down a long, winding staircase as they tried to avoid any falling debris and at the end Zelda blasted away some bars that were blocking their way.

She ran ahead of them and blasted a second door across from where they came out, and called for them to hurry. No one argued.

The next area had them jumping over broken pathways and avoiding larger chunks of flaming rock that nearly hit Shadow, but it was short and Zelda had run ahead and blasted yet another set of bars before any of them even reached the spot she'd been at moments before. "Slow down!" Victoria hissed as she struggled to run alongside the Princess, "I know we're pressed for time here, but we can only go so fast, you know!" Zelda quickly apologized and tried her best to keep the others in sight.

They dodged more flaming rock, Zelda blasted more barricades, and hardly anyone said a word except whenever a chunk of dirt fell on them or they were nearly clocked by one of the bigger pieces.

It wasn't until they arrived at a room with two Stalfos that a ring of fire tried to trap Zelda that things started getting interesting. "No you don't!" she cried, pushing away her bindings with her own Din's Fire. Victoria and her father obliterated one Stalfos while Shadow and Link destroyed the other. Zelda took a few moments to blast another barrier, but they passed through once she was finished.

Then there was more running, more blasting, more avoid falling burning projectiles, and once again, no communication. They all pretty much got the idea that they had to get the hell out of there! They encountered a Lizafols at the bridge, but Victoria blasted it before it could even react, and then, finally, Zelda blasted the final barrier, and they stepped out into the light.

Then, all hell broke loose and the castle just fell to pieces.

No one spoke, not even Shadow.

For a long while, there was silence, until Zelda said, "It's over… it's finally over!" Shadow, however, could sense something amiss. He wasn't feeling the lightness he thought he'd feel once they really won, so he knew there had to be something more.

"I wouldn't count on it…" he said softly. Link and Zelda were exchanging tender looks with one another, but a shifting in the debris quickly interrupted the moment. Link's head snapped around and eventually so did the rest of his body.

He went to investigate, followed by Victoria and Shadow. As they neared the largest pile of debris, a wall of flame appeared behind them, and the all turned around. Zelda tried to go and help them, but Arthur held her back. "No, Princess. As long as I still breathe, I'm still doing my job as a Sheikah. You're staying." Zelda, realizing she wasn't going to be able to get anywhere, could only clutch her hands together and watch on anxiously.

Suddenly, the largest pile of debris exploded everywhere, miraculously missing the three heroes, and a giant monster of a creature stood there, roaring. It looked down on them and held out its hand, the Triforce of Power still shining brightly.

"Ganondorf…" Victoria whispered. Shadow shook his head as he was looking up. "No… he's Ganon now."

Then Ganon jumped up into the air and curled in on himself. Slowly, armor started _growing_ all over his body, and he grew a _tail_, which had on the end of it, a rainbow colored diamond. Shadow looked over at Victoria and said, "Weak spot?" She grinned. "Most definitely."

When he landed, he drew two rather large, menacing swords of light, or so they appeared to be, and feinted a few slashes at them, letting them know this battle was for keeps.

They were ready.

However, in all the chaos, Link's Master Sword was thrown out of his hand, and he was left with no weapon! "Link!" Victoria cried, "You must have something you can use to defend yourself with!" Link quickly searched through his hat and pulled out the first thing his hand reached. Out came a rather long and slender two-handed broadsword that looked quite frightening, but it was still not the Master Sword.

"I'll have to use this until the fire stops… if it ever does." Shadow frowned. "If we do enough damage he should lose his concentration in keeping up the spell. We have to get that weak spot!" The others nodded. "Right!"

Navi fluttered around Link's head. "There's no way he's holding me back again!" Link nodded and readied a battle stance.

Then, the final battle truly began.

Link called out the orders. "Shadow, take left! Victoria, right! I'm taking center! Now go!" Shadow feinted right at first, but shot off to the left before Ganon could react fast enough to stop the slash to the right. Victoria had done the same, and Ganon's attacks missed all the heroes completely. This allowed Link to run under the legs and have Navi lock onto his tail while he whacked it. Victoria spun Cronos around several times until it could not be seen in her hand, then she shot it off with a warning to Link and sent it spinning with an active ice spell still attached.

Shadow, knowing his Master Sword copy would do no good this time around, ran around playing cat and mouse with Ganon. He did his best to have the shadows keep a hold on Ganon's tail so their attacks would be more accurate, but he lost his concentration when he was sent flying forward by a blast of rocks that had been hit instead of him.

"I'm all right," he called, "just a little battered!" He got up and continued his game until Ganon fell to his knees by Link and Victoria's combo attack and the ring of fire disappeared. Link made a beeline for the Master Sword, which had landed right next to Zelda, while Cronos boomeranged back to its master's hand and Victoria cast a surprisingly strong Thunder attack on the whole of Ganon.

However, once Link had the Master Sword in hand, the ground, shook, he ran forward to Victoria's side. "What did you do?" he asked her over the noise. She couldn't reply. She was frozen in terror. She could only watch as her attack shrunk Ganon back into his Ganondorf form, crackling with lightning energy, and glaring with hatred.

"This is the last time you be a thorn in my side, girl!" He boomed. And suddenly, she was thrown into the air by a telekinetic attack, and brought before him, her arms and upper body being suspended in the air as she struggled to break free. Link and Shadow rushed to her aid, but Ganondorf threw them back with a few blasts of dark energy. Victoria's back was facing Zelda and her father, but they were powerless to do anything, she knew.

She could only watch as Ganondorf walked to her, the maliciousness of his evil so great it was almost becoming too real and overwhelming.

"So, girl, why don't we make a deal? Your mother made a deal with me before… oh yes, she was fond of making deals and showing off how much power she had. I wonder," he snarled with a happy sneer, "what'll it be? Your father or the Princess…?" He looked beyond her to where Arthur was standing in front of the Princess with a protective stance.

"Or perhaps… Link or Shadow?" She struggled harder. "No! Not them!" Ganondorf, now partly Ganon again, laughed. "It seems you've chosen which two you want to watch die…" He turned around and snapped his fingers, and two pink crystals appeared, one holding Shadow on the left, and another holding Link on the right.

"No! Stop, please! I beg you!"

He did stop. But when he turned around that dark smile was still on his face. "Really now? The daughter of my dead enemy is begging _me_ to stop? Fine. Since you've lowered yourself so much for me, I'll lessen the deal just a bit. I'll let you go, and every one else, if you just choose one. Just one, Shadow, or the Hero. But you have to watch them die. Slowly, painfully, until they've said their last, taken their last, and their heart no longer beats. Doesn't that sound nice?"

By now Victoria had stopped struggling. It was pointless to waste energy like this. She was going to have to choose exactly who was going to die, so that everyone else could go free.

_I could choose Link_, she thought, _so that I could be with Shadow and my father. But Zelda… she'd never forgive me for being so selfish._

There was a pause in her thoughts.

_And I could choose Shadow._

This thought was the most dark and dangerous of them all.

If she chose Shadow, she would go right down with him, and her father could take Link and Zelda and take them somewhere… perhaps to get help so that, eventually, Ganondorf could be brought down. But if she chose Shadow, she would give up her title as Time Princess and become the Queen without an Heir. She would have to choose another candidate, but she couldn't bear the thought of doing to someone else what had been done to her, even though it had to happen.

It hurt to take away someone's freedom like that, because, truly, all this power, the power of the Princess and the Queen, it came with a price. To uphold to balance of time and work in tandem with space to keep order to the dimensions of this planet and the universe.

But, if something had to be done, something had to be done.

Finally, Victoria looked up. And at last the words she never thought she'd ever say left her lips:

"Kill Shadow."

Ganondorf grinned. His eyes glittered with a dark, glorious light, and his held up his fingers as if to snap them. "Are you sure…?" She nodded softly, and let her chin rest upon her chest. "Now, now, you have to watch, remember?"

Slowly he let her down, and she stood there, her eyes already distant and dark, watching Shadow with a sadness that was to break anyone's heart. That is, if they had one, and Ganondorf apparently did not. As last, he snapped his fingers, and the crystals shattered. Link, Shadow, and the shattered crystal pieces were suspended in the air for some moments, until the shards surrounding Link shot outwards and dropped from his form, and the shards surrounding Shadow shot inward.

Link, Shadow, and Victoria instantly fell to their knees.

Link was in shock, Victoria's soul was weakening at a rapidly decreasing rate, and Shadow was in pain, screaming and dying.

Shadow had fallen against his side, the shards embedded in his right arm digging in even deeper because of the pressure. Sparks of pain were everywhere, though somehow, no shards had pierced his head. Victoria heard his screams and struggled to stand, stumbling off in his direction as fast as she could. Arthur, not realizing what was happening, followed her without warning, and Zelda ran for Link.

Victoria got to Shadow first.

She knelt beside him where he could see her, and all he managed to croak out was, "… why?"

She stroked his bloody cheek with a shaking, shockingly pale hand. "Because…" she said breathlessly, "if you die I get to go with you, remember?" Arthur stopped right in his tracks when he heard that. No… not his little girl. She couldn't…! He only just got her back!

On the other side of the destruction, Zelda was trying to shake Link out of his shock. "Link! Please! I need you here! Arthur's trying to save Shadow, but you need to defeat Ganon so that he can! Or distract him, anything! Link? Link!"

Ganondorf just stood there amidst it all, laughing.

Zelda, through with talking, stood up and slapped Link clean across his right cheek. His head jerked back, and he braced himself up with his sword arm, his right hand touching the stinging flesh when his head had snapped back. He was breathing heavily. "What… just happened?"

Zelda looked at him and she was surprised. "Shadow's dying because of some deal Ganon made with Victoria that she had no choice in stopping! She chose Shadow's death over yours and right now Arthur's trying to prevent it! But if you continue to sit here Ganondorf is going to notice and we'll lose both Shadow _and_ Victoria, do you understand?"

Link looked up. Victoria had mentioned some sort of a link between the two of them, but he thought she had just been talking about their bond with one another. He hadn't thought she meant a literal, magical link.

He stood up, gripping the Master Sword tightly. He wasn't about to loose _both_ of his friends.

"KAI-TEN-GI-RI!" (1)

Ganondorf was only able to quickly summon a blade before he was knocked back by the Master Sword's holy light. He stood up, clutching his searing skin. "You just don't know when to quit, do you kid?"

On the other side, Arthur was kneeling by Shadow's back pulling out some of the shards, rubbing some of the healing potion Victoria had been carrying on the wounds to heal them. But he could only work so fast…

"It's not… going… fast enough…" Victoria breathed, "we're slipping…" Arthur grit his teeth so hard he feared they, too, would shatter. "No! I'm not losing both of you to this!" Victoria fell to the ground, her left arm reaching out to nothing, and her right cushioning her face against the dirt. She was falling into a dark abyss to which she knew was the end, but something was preventing her from being at peace.

A voice she recognized called out to her across the darkness and said:

"No, my love, now is not your time. I am giving you one, last gift, that no mortal wound shall ride you to an early grave. Use it, precious one, and defeat the Evil King! Use your power to transform!"

And there she was again, back in the world where the dust stung her eyes and pain still bit everywhere she'd been cut or bled, but she was glad. Slowly, she stood up, just in time to see Ganondorf throw Link back again and transform into Ganon a second time.

"Hey," she called, "you want a piece of this?" Ganon turned around, but had to shield his eyes form the blinding light she was radiating. Suddenly it intensified, and again, there stood the Time Princess in her true form, a beautiful and terrible force. With her beautiful white gown and sparkling finery, she looked as if she were ready for a dance, not a battle.

Ganon just laughed.

"Go ahead and laugh," she barked, "but it is I who will have the last one. It's time to end this! Link, hurry!"

Link had recovered his wits in time to make one last dive for the Master Sword, while Victoria aimed Cronos at Ganon and held him there with a wide, bright stream of continuous timelight. Clocks and hourglasses spun around in the light, transparent and solid in one instant to the next, holding Ganon in place.

"Link, do it! The killing blow!"

Link did not hesitate. He moved straight for the head, and hit it dead center. Blood poured from the wound as Ganon cried out in pain, and Zelda smiled.

"I think I can take it from here!" she called. Victoria nodded, and cut off the spell with a twirl and a stamp of her staff. She leaned against it, drained, all of her finery from her transformation disappearing and returning her to her dirty, dusty Sheikah garb.

Zelda, on the other side of the little island of land, was sealing Ganondorf away into the Sacred Realm. There was this booming voice that came from nowhere that Victoria could only assume was Rauru.

"Ancient Creators of Hyrule! Now, open the sealed door and send the Evil incarnation of Darkness into the void of the Evil Realm!"

There was a great flash of light, and then Ganon was gone.

But then another voice boomed out across the land as the Sacred Realm was closing: Ganon's.

"You…" it said, "Curse you… Zelda! Curse you…sages! Curse you… Link!" There was a pause, but not for long. "Someday," he continued, "when this seal is broken, that is when I will exterminate your descendents! As long as the Triforce of Power is in my hand…" Victoria was sure he meant to say more, but he was cut off, the Sacred Seal closing him off from the world; for now.

Victoria knelt by Shadow, his breathing slower than before. "No… it's not working! Don't you have anything else, father? You said you had a healing item!" Arthur stopped and face palmed himself.

"The fairy, I completely forgot!"

He dug in the magical pocket for the fairy and took it out, the bottle materializing in his hand. He uncorked the top, and the crystals dissolved instantly, along with repairing all of the major wounds. The fairy disappeared, and Shadow's breathing quickened to a normal speed, though some of his wounds still remained.

"I guess they can bring you back from the brink of death but they can't heal you all they way," Victoria observed. Arthur nodded. "I suppose so. We need to get him to a place where he can heal properly…"

Zelda and Link approached the three of them, Link looking rather angry and distressed.

Victoria instantly knew what was happening.

She stood up.

"My answer is no, Zelda. I'm not going back. And I think it's safe to say that Shadow's answer is also going to be no. We're pressing forward with this time whether you like it or not." Zelda sighed, exasperated. "But it's not safe! We have to go back!" Victoria shook her head.

"No, Zelda. What you don't realize is that it isn't safe to go _back_, not forward. Not only does Ganondorf have a much less chance of breaking the seal now, in this time, he won't be able to go back and mess with the timeline like he would be able to if we did go back. You see, one of the great links of time runs right through the Sacred Realm. If we go back in time, he will be able to access that link and do some serious damage that I might not be able to correct if we went back."

Zelda looked confused. "Why not?" Victoria sighed and then looked back up. "You see, in order to function properly, my emotions need to be in balance. Now, with only a few nightmares every so often, I can keep myself in an equilibrium of sorts, whereas if we went back, I would have them constantly and not be able to have a moments peace!"

She paused, waiting for it to sink in. "Do you understand now, Princess?"

Zelda looked shocked for a moment at Victoria's audacity to speak so frankly, but then, once she realized the truth, she felt guilty and looked down at the ground because she hadn't anywhere else left to look.

"I'm sorry… I should've known…"

Victoria shook her head. "No. You don't know everything, Zelda. In fact, there are several things I still need to discuss with you, though now is not the time. We'll do so tomorrow."

Zelda looked up sharply. "Tomorrow?" Victoria nodded, smiling and crossing her arms. "Yes. Thanks to Link we still have new tomorrows to look forward to, new breaths to take, lives to treasure, but first we must rest, and enjoy the victory that we've rightly earned."

Before they set off into the sunset, however, Victoria asked Link, "Hey, isn't your sword still back there somewhere?" To which he panicked and they all laughed (except Shadow, who was still unconscious in Arthur's arms) as Link ran to fetch it.

* * *

Whew! Wow… that took a lot out of me… omg I'm almost done! Well, hold your horses, I need to explain one more thing before I say any more.

1) Kai-ten-gi-ri is what he says in the manga when he does his spinning slash thing. Loosely translated, it literally means, 'spinning slash attack'.

So, yeah. Please, if you want to comment on something or just, you know, drop a line, go ahead, and yeah, review. Don't forget about the epilogue!


	14. Epilogue: Return to Reality

Chapter Fourteen: Epilogue – Return to Reality

* * *

Title: LoZ: The Time Keeper

Chapter: 14

Author: Hikari no Vikki

Genre: Romance

Parings: Link x Zelda / OC x Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own this and I will never own this even if I'm reincarnated. Twice.

Description: Previously known as Divine Impurity. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, a girl with a legacy she knows nothing about joins the fight against Ganon. She falls in love with the Hero's shadow, and finds herself caught up in a war that seems impossible to win.

Author's Notes-

Finally. The last chapter of my story. Can you believe it's been almost two and a half years since I started this thing? Now I have other fics to finish… which ones to do, huh? The song at the end is from _Never, Ever, & Forever_.

* * *

Victoria's clean, slender hand wrote swiftly on the paper, pouring out her ideas and thoughts, not of the battle that had occurred no less than half a day ago, but of spells and construction. The kingdom had to be rebuilt, that was a simple fact, and though there was good cause to celebrate for the freedom they now had, she had other things to work on.

For starters, there was Ganondorf. He wasn't going to stay sealed forever, she knew. Zelda still insisted that he couldn't break free, that the seal was too strong, but she had managed to contact Rauru and confirmed her fears.

"Your fears are well placed," he said, looking down at the something other than the magical mirror they were using to speak to one another.

"So then, he will break free." Rauru sighed. "Most likely. And I'm afraid we cannot give you an estimate either, but please child, do not push yourself so much. I know you love Hyrule and your sense of duty tells you that you must play a part in its preservation, but there are others that can do the work. You cannot do everything."

Scowling and closing the link, she knew that he was right.

Victoria paused, at a roadblock in her thoughts, the words not coming as fluidly as before. It was long past daybreak and she had had a good night's rest, but something was still bothering her.

Shadow had not yet awoken.

He was still alive, his brain was still active, but he hadn't even stirred from the guest bed her father had put him in. He had to wake up soon…

"Are you still worried?" She jumped, and fell off her chair, grasping the side of the table to break most of her fall. The table, a beautiful piece of carved work, creaked only slightly. Her father laughed. "Be careful now. And you know, I made that, so don't go breaking it."

Arthur had cleaned up some. His hair was a little shorter, only to his shoulder blades now when he let it down, and he kept it in a nice ponytail. His face was clean-shaven, and he now wore a similar outfit to the one he'd worn yesterday, though it was dark purple and had a Sheikah weeping eye on the back of it.

"I get it, I get it… I'm just worried about Shadow… and the kingdom. There's so much to do, Father, and I-" He held a finger to her lips. "Shadow will live. He's just recovering. That attack took a lot out of him and even with the fairy some of his wounds were rather serious. Now, did you eat lunch yet?"

She sighed sarcastically, rolling her eyes in his direction. "Yes, father I did. Now is there anything else?" Arthur nodded. "Darunia needs the plans for the rebuilding of Hyrule Castle. However, I need them first so that I can discuss renovations with him and the Princess." She tilted her head. "Darunia? I thought he stayed in the Sacred Realm?" Arthur shook his head. "Only Rauru has to stay. The others came back. Link is outside talking with Saria right now." She nodded thoughtfully. "Well that's nice… not to mention convenient." She thought for a moment.

Then Victoria smiled and held up a piece of paper. "Here's some good ideas. I'll go fetch the plans; you said you put them in my old room, yes?" Arthur nodded. "Yes. And you might want to put that bed in the attic and get a proper one so you don't hurt yourself and the couch."

It took only a few moments to find them. She brought them back, along with the blueprints of the town.

"I found these in there with them. I thought you might want them back." Arthur smiled. "Yes! These are good, too. Blueprints of the town are very, very good. It'll help rebuild it faster… but perhaps some renovations can be done there as well…" He turned with the blueprints and the papers with her ideas, and was about to leave before he turned back and said, "Oh, and thank you! Don't forget about replacing that bed!" Victoria laughed to herself as he closed the door and left her alone in the house with a sleeping Shadow in the guest room to her left.

She found her quill, still in the inkbottle, and dipped bits of excess ink on the side until it was just right. Then she began writing again, the words flowing just as they had before.

Another thing that had to be done was, of course, the rebuilding of Hyrule Castle and the Castle Town. Her ideas for the town and been to instead meld it with the castle, and create a sort of square setting with a round marketplace in the middle where events could be held. Why, she'd even drawn a few quick sketches, which she had made sure her father also had.

And there could still be gates, three of them in fact, and fortified stone walls. Perhaps that might help in the case of an invasion. It was certainly a very appealing, if not time consuming to build, idea that would certainly benefit the kingdom, the town, and its inhabitants.

Also, new roads would have to be constructed to regulate trade and other things, because the roads in Hyrule Field just weren't enough. And the weather and changing landscape of Hyrule itself would have to be taken into account, as the desert was growing farther and farther away somehow from the land, and creating space between it and Lake Hylia.

"Several bridges will also have to be constructed… at least two big ones, one for the lake, another for Kakariko's gorge…" She muttered, writing faster as the ideas spun the wheels in her mind ever more than before.

This was part of the exciting but arduous task of reconstruction of Ganondorf's destruction. Returning to reality wasn't a pretty thing, but it had to be done.

Finally, Victoria stopped, realizing her hand was getting tired. She'd write some more later.

She also had this crazy idea about creating her own spell that would help protect her own mind and help her fight with her mind better than she did now. She realized that if she kept on trying to specialize in any one element, she would have a clear weakness that could be exploited. While of course, her first and foremost weakness was water because her inner element was fire, if she got stronger she could build a resistance and really do some damage instead of the petty magic she was using now.

But, again, it was a crazy idea though probably worth it in the long run.

Victoria walked slowly over to the door of the guest room where Shadow was resting. The sky blue skirts of her dress sashayed softly as she walked over to the chair by the side of the bed. She sat down gracefully, something she had recently acquired but didn't realize she had, and slipped her right hand into Shadow's warm left. Occasionally a finger would twitch, and she'd get glimpses of nightmares or dreams in his sleep by brushing her thoughts against his, but nothing more.

She sighed. "Wake up soon," she whispered.

.oOo.

It was the same time the next day that she ran into a peculiar figure along Zora's river.

It was a woman about her height and age, with blue hair and ice blue eyes, but unlike her mother's, these were soft and not as sharp. They walked along the river side by side, until the young woman asked what she was doing there.

"I'm not entirely sure," Victoria answered, "I was going to see the Zora Princess about something; she sent for me." The woman smiled. "Really? But you chose to walk here? Most just run, or jog; they don't stop and speak to me, that is, if they can see me."

The peculiar comment struck Victoria as odd, and when she took a really good look at the young woman, she seemed to be not entirely solid. She was solid _looking_, so much that if you weren't looking closely you would mistake her as such. But she was looking closely and you could very much see the slightly transparent air she had hanging about her.

"What are you?" she asked skeptically, "I mean, if you don't mind me asking… you aren't entirely… human." The woman smiled bitterly, but softly, as if she didn't really care anymore. She had a similar grace like Victoria's, the grace that you notice in others but not in yourself.

"I'm a spirit of this river. I watch over it, and when I'm feeling a little down, I talk to others that pass by. There are quite a few more people now than there were before, and usually at least one person if not a few others, are able to see and talk to me. Like you."

Victoria was sympathetic of the spirit. "You must be lonely. How long have you been a spirit?" The woman shrugged. "The others say I've been a spirit for about ten years, but I can't remember hardly any of them. It's like I never really lived them. But, then again, I am I strange one, they say. I… age. I used to look younger, a lot younger. I'm rambling, though, don't, don't listen to me."

Victoria laughed. "No, no you're quite interesting to listen to. My name is Victoria, by the way, I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier."

The spirit tilted her head. "Really? Victoria?"

Victoria frowned, surprised and confused at the spirit's reaction to her name. "What? Is something wrong?" The spirit looked a little lost, and then had this strange look of realization.

"Victoria…?" She stopped, and Victoria stopped too. The spirit stared at her for the longest time, until Victoria reminded her that she really did have somewhere to be. "But…" said the spirit, "I think I've seen you somewhere before. Usually people's names don't have that affect on me, really, it's just…" She paused, looking down at the ground, her head tilted to the left.

"My living name was… Sapphire."

For Victoria, it took only moments to set in. And when she realized just exactly whom she had been talking to for he past half hour, her jaw dropped.

"No bloody way…"

She pinched her eyebrows, squinted, and tilted her face, looking closer. Then she stepped back, clearly surprised. "Sapphire?"

Sapphire looked up. "Why? Am I someone you know?" Victoria just laughed, completely sad and giddy at the same time. "You don't… you don't remember?" she said breathlessly, "You really and truly don't remember?"

She tried to grab Sapphire's hand, but couldn't. Sapphire, a little dazed and confused at Victoria's actions, realized what she wanted to do, and solidified it enough so that Victoria could grasp it and hold it in her hands. "Sapphire, don't you remember the day of the picnic, when we were sitting by Mother and Father and, and our little brother, Nathan, and he fell off the waterfall's edge but you went after him to try and save his life?"

She was breathless, but kept on going. "And do you remember how Father chased after you to save you both, but I was faster and nearly grasped your hand but…" she stopped, her emotions taking a sharp left turn on this strange ride they were on and forcing her to a stop.

But now Sapphire knew just exactly who was holding her hand, who she was to her, and why she felt so strongly about her.

"… but you missed, and when Father came to look for Nat and I, we were farther down, too far for him to see." Victoria, who had let go of Sapphire's hand and was brushing away a few stray tears into the river, looked up in surprise and quiet joy. "So… you do remember… little sister."

Sapphire smiled sarcastically, but closed her eyes and shook her head. "I was your twin, if _you_ don't remember. Thank you for helping me jog my memory, it's been so long since I've been able to remember anything, much less my life before this." Victoria, having regained her composure, was now curious. "I still have to many questions, though, like why have you been able to age? Most spirits stay the age that they died at, but you look the same age as me!"

Sapphire raised a quizzical eyebrow. "And that age might be? Forgive me, but since I cannot leave the boundaries of this river, and I have not been able to keep up with recent events very well."

Victoria laughed softly. "Well then, there is much to tell you. I am seventeen, by the way. I wonder, though, why haven't I seen you before? My cottage is just down the river…" Sapphire shrugged. "I usually stay upriver, because when people are tired from the climb upriver, they are more likely to be able to see me when they don't have magical training."

Victoria blinked. "Oh. That must also be why… I didn't acquire any magical ability until just recently…"

Sapphire smiled knowingly. "Now that you've triggered my memory, there is much that I know and remember. Please, do come back as soon as possible, so we can talk properly." Victoria nodded. "Yes, I will! I promise!" And she ran off for Zora's Domain.

.oOo.

"You're late!" Ruto said, putting her hands on her hips, her face twisted in an odd playful anger.

Victoria laughed softly.

"Forgive me, I was delayed. I met one of the spirits that lives in the river and we were engaged in a very interesting conversation…" Ruto gasped, forgetting about her lateness entirely. "Really? A river spirit? What was it like? I've never actually met one!"

"She was actually the spirit of my twin sister who died in the river ten years ago, I'm assuming that my brother is still alive… perhaps she died getting him to safety." Victoria shrugged. "I promised her I would try to go back and look for her so we can catch up on a few things."

Ruto nodded animatedly. "Well, isn't that interesting? Although I really do have to talk to you about something… it's kind of important." Victoria was curious. As Ruto was dragging her, she tried to get her to leak out some of the details of this thing that was so important to Ruto. "Well," she said casually, "it's really just stuff I think you should know. Perhaps Link, too, if I can ever get him to talk to me…"

They arrived at a small but lavish set of rooms that Victoria could assume was Ruto's private quarters.

"So…" she said slyly as she looked around, "these are your private rooms?"

Ruto nodded. "Yeah, these are it. My little corner of heaven. Now," she said, sitting on the water bed (A/N: Don't ask me how they work; they're magicked XD) and looking up at her with a rare smile, "please, sit."

So Victoria sat. "What is it you want me to know, Ruto?" Ruto nodded, leaned back, but then sitting up again, her hands moving in a similar animated fashion as before as she spoke. "Well, my real name is actually Rutela, but everyone just calls me Ruto, even my father. But… I'm thinking of taking it as my royal name once I assume the throne." Victoria's head tilted in confusion. "Assume the throne? But don't you have to be married for that?" Here, Ruto began to blush and Victoria proceeded to do a very good imitation of a fish.

"No…" she said, laughing a little, "you can't have a crush on someone _other_ than Link, do you? Already?" Victoria couldn't help but burst into a fit of girlish giggles as Ruto put her hands on her hips. "Stop that now!" she said with a half real warning in her voice. Victoria did try to stop, but she couldn't help but smile.

"So… who is he?" Ruto shook her head. "No one you would know. His name is Mykai, and he's really such a gentlemen… he kept me company while most of Zora's Domain was frozen." She smiled softly at Victoria's perplexed expression. "I didn't like being in the Sacred Realm all the time, so I stayed here until I had to go back. It made me feel safe." Victoria's smile became less and less restrained as she became more used to the idea.

"So I guess I should let Link know that you're not chasing after him anymore?" Ruto nodded sharply, but softly as well. A sign of change. They had all changed, if only a little. "It would be best, though, if he could come on his own so I can tell him in person. Please let him know that." Victoria nodded. "So… may I take my leave?" Ruto looked up. "Oh, yes. Yes, you may. Don't forget to let him know, all right?" Victoria nodded.

"I promise."

.oOo.

Two days later, she had finally been able to get her thoughts straight and do everything that she'd promised everyone; including buying the bed her father had asked her to get, having that proper talk with her sister, and even telling Link that Ruto wanted to see him and speak to him in person.

"Please, Link, she really needs to just have you there to hear it, that's all. And be polite! She's not chasing you anymore, all right?"

Link nodded, holding his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay, I will!"

And she knew he would; he knew she had a temper that no one wanted to mess with, especially himself. She was a fire user after all, ticking them off wasn't exactly in your best interests unless you were a water user.

But Shadow still hadn't awoken.

Well, not properly, anyway. He would come out of it enough to take a few drinks or so, and once her father even got him to have a bit of soup, but usually it was when Victoria was busy and he never stayed awake for very long. "But it's a good sign," she kept telling herself, "he's recovering."

It wasn't until late that night, after coming in from a long day of making sure all the plans for reconstruction were in order, and finally giving the order to the Gorons and Hylians that had volunteered to help that they could begin construction, that she was actually there to witness one of these episodes; alone.

She had a small desk moved into his room so she could work in there after dinner, and she was setting all the construction checklists in order and looking over her copy of the shifts and praying to the Goddesses that most of the shifts actually went on and off on time. They needed this done soon so that Zelda could start putting out actual decrees and things to keep the peace while they put the pieces of their former government back together.

"Oh," she sighed, half whispering to herself, reading by the light of a single oil lamp, "there's so much to do… perhaps Rauru is right, there really is too much for just me… but who else is going to do it all? Everything needs to go the we planned for it to work…"

"Except not everything goes as planned," coughed a soft voice from behind.

She turned, and when she did, her face lit up with happiness. "Shadow!" she cried, rushing to his side. "Careful, careful," he said to her, his voice low and still not used to being used again, "I'm still in pain, you know." She smiled, her work forgotten, as she sat herself in the chair, her skirts this time a dark crimson.

"You don't know how long I've waited to see you come out of it, if only for a little while." Shadow smiled back, but looked distracted. "Where's Arthur?" he asked. "Oh, my father?" Shadow looked confused for a moment, but then remembered what had happened at the final battle.

"He really is your father… he was the one… the servant I told you about…" She held a finger to his lips and shushed him. "Yes, yes I know. And before you ask he knows that you're a good man." She laughed softly. "And so he approves." It was far too dark too see Shadow's blush, but she knew it was there. "Um, well… is he here?" Victoria shook her head. "No, it's just me. Are you thirsty?" Shadow shook his head. "Actually, I'm hungry. I think I'm willing to try something solid for once."

Victoria laughed. "What do you think you can keep down?" Shadow gave it a few moments of thought. "Perhaps… some bread and cheese. But only if the bread is really light… nothing too heavy."

She paused at the door and nodded before fetching it. She still brought him a glass of water just in case.

"So," he said to her, "how long _have_ to been waiting to see me awake?" She sat back, trying to remember. The last couple of days had sort of muddled together, but she could roughly remember them. "About four days, if I'm not mistaken. Counting today. Father said you started coming in and out of it around the time I left yesterday." She leaned in her chair and pushed back her bangs, which fell into the same place she'd pushed them from, like a spring, and sighed. "There's so much to do… most of the people are so helpful, even taking some of the night shifts to rebuild the castle and the town…"

Shadow smiled sleepily. He knew he was nodding out of it again, so he had to tell her. Slowly he touched the end of her sleeve and she locked eyes with him. "I'm getting tired… when Arthur gets back, I need you to remind him to change my bandages if he doesn't remember, all right?"

She nodded, picking up the tray and watching him slowly slip back into sleep.

Once the dishes were clean again and back in their proper places, then she returned to her work until her father came home and they exchanged a few words before he headed off to the guest room and she retired for the night.

.oOo.

The next day she stayed in the house, doing some cleaning, and some paperwork. His episodes were quickly becoming full-length periods of time where he would be awake for hours. He even was strong enough to get up and walk around for a little bit sometimes. It was just after noon when none other than Princess Zelda knocked on the door, asking to come in.

Victoria was dressed plainly, in a brown dress with an apron tied around her back, and her hair tied back in a maid-like fashion with a clean white washcloth.

"Sure, why ever did you think I wouldn't let you in?" Zelda looked troubled, and at this, her smiled faded into a reproachful line. "Is… something wrong with the construction?" As Zelda walked in and Victoria shut the door, the Princess shook her head.

"Wrong? Not the construction, but… You said we had things to talk about, yes? I only wanted to talk about them, that's all."

Victoria doubted that. As much alike as Princesses Ruto and Zelda were, Ruto was more open with others. In the few days Victoria had gotten to know Zelda, she could see that Zelda kept secrets, and often berated herself for her natural flaws. Though she did have the potential to become a strong, fearless leader, Zelda first had to bring herself out of the cycle of angst and brooding.

"Yes," Victoria said slowly, setting herself down in the sitting chair next to the couch where Zelda had taken her seat, "I suppose. They were things that my mother told me that you might want to know. My mother was married to your father, and when she had you, she realized that she couldn't love you they way your father could, and had to leave. So she faked her own death and fled to Kakariko, where she met my father, and well, you know the story form there."

She was straight, blunt, and to the point with it. No point in hiding the facts.

Zelda just sat there. After a while, she licked her lips and stroked her chin, and then looked up at Victoria and stared into her eyes.

"So, if what you say is true… that makes us sisters." Victoria nodded. "But only by half, though we are sisters nonetheless." Zelda's eyes seemed to light up a little at this, and then she looked up at the wooden clock on top of the desk across from her.

"I have… been worrying that I might not make a good ruler," Zelda said. Victoria raised an eyebrow. Where was she going with this?

"I worry about the nobles, and what they'll think of me, because I know so little. But would the people support me? Oh, Victoria, this is why I wanted to go back… I'm not ready to rule!" Zelda was looking at the table, not at Victoria, as if she were angrier with herself than the redhead. Her fists _were_ clenched in anger, however.

Then she looked up again. "But you said that you were my half sister, yes? So perhaps… you could rule? For a little while? As a regent, perhaps? You do have some claim to the throne, then…" She looked hopeless, and perhaps a little lost to Victoria's eyes. Victoria sighed. "Zelda, you underestimate yourself. You could rule, and well! Look at how you've been helping to rebuild the kingdom with such a fair hand!"

Zelda shook her head. "Most of that was you, wasn't it?" Victoria chuckled. "Perhaps. But I was obsessed with restoring the kingdom on my own; as if it were my fault it was destroyed in the first place… well, actually I kind of still am, but not as much as before. I'm coming to terms with my limits, because really, there is only so much I can do and there are others who can pick up the slack that I cannot. You, for example, could be doing the same things I am doing, but better! Zelda, please, do not ask me to take your title so lightly. You really could be a great ruler, if you only gave yourself a chance.

"Myself, on the other hand? I don't want it anyway. It's not where I belong. But I could help you, perhaps as an advisor. And when the other nobles finally get their asses out of the sand, they'll take one look at me and not approve."

She finished her speech with another chuckle and a smile.

Zelda just sat there, studying her. It was a little while before she spoke again. Finally, she said, breathless, "You… you're truly something. Thank you. And now that I think about it, I shouldn't have been so worried. That advisor idea, though… that is something. I'll give that some thought. As for the nobles, your description of them is rather… interesting."

Victoria laughed. "I'm glad you think so. So why don't you think some of that over and we'll talk later." Zelda nodded, getting up and smiling. "How does in two days sound?" Victoria nodded, but wondered why she wanted that date. "Is there any particular reason why you're so specific?" Zelda, for the first time, actually laughed. Daintily, of course, and with a hand over her mouth.

"Your sarcasm never ceases to amuse, does it? I chose that date because the people of Kakariko want to have a celebration to help relax the workers and I guess as a thank you to us as well." Victoria snorted. "Don't tell Link or his cheeks will blaze hotter than Death Mountain's lava." Again, Zelda laughed.

"I hope Shadow can make it. You both need to come." Victoria nodded, slightly anxious to get back to work. "I'll keep that in mind. Don't you have some construction to oversee?" Zelda gasped. "Oh, blast it I do! Thanks for reminding me!" She hurried towards the door, but stopped before she could close it. "Don't forget!" she called.

Victoria shook her head. "I'll try not to."

Shadow came in, slowly, and leaning against the left side of the door quite heavily, favoring his right leg to keep him up.

"I take it you heard?" Victoria asked, her eyes trailing up the wall and finally meeting his eyes. Shadow shrugged. "Some bits more than others. I was sort of still out of it when she first came in. Then I heard you talking and it got interesting." Victoria smirked and put her hands on her hips. "So which parts did you pay attention to?"

Shadow thought for a second and then said, "Most definitely the part where she asked if you would take her place. I wonder, though… why did you say no? I'm sure anyone would sell their soul just to have that question asked to them." Victoria frowned. "But I'm not one of them. I've been doing some reading, and the life of royalty isn't as luxurious as the people are led to believe. It can sometimes be a good thing, but if the nobles aren't your most favorite people in the world, it's torture."

Shadow grimaced. "I heard the part about the nobles getting their asses out of the sand, too. What is with them?" Victoria shrugged. "All I can deduce is that most, if not all, of them are plain cowards. Although we can't yet make contact with Snowpeak and Lanayru Provinces' nobles were murdered about eighteen years ago. However, before Ganondorf came and did his bit, there was a search for any possible heirs but… the trail went stone cold and no more progress was made."

Something about that comment stirred something in Shadow. "Ganondorf said something about my parents being nobility, and that Link's mother was my mother's sister. Do you think that has anything to do with it?" Victoria blinked and tilted her head. "Maybe. If what he said was true." Shadow looked down at the floor. "I'm positive he was telling the truth. After all, why would he lie to us if he thought he was going to win?"

Victoria could see his point. "I guess it could be a factor… hey do you want to sit down?" Shadow held up a finger and slowly limped over to the couch. Victoria, lacking anything better to do other than work, sat down next to him. "So, how about that celebration? You think you'll be able to stand properly by then?" He shrugged, and brought her close, her head resting on his chest, but lightly.

"I can try. What about you? Anything interesting happen?" She smiled knowingly. "You have no idea." He smiled down at her, and gently kissed her head.

"Do enlighten me."

.oOo.

It was the day of the celebration and the whole village was abuzz with excitement. Even Shadow was up earlier than usual, and actually walking with only the occasional need to lean on someone, provided he sat down often enough.

Victoria was going through the last of the records that her father had been able to save (he was only one man after all, he could only save so much) and she came across a tapestry that seemed to be well made. "Father?" she called, "You still here?" He came in, reading glasses sitting precariously at the tip of his nose and a book in his right hand. "Is there something you wanted from me?" She nodded.

"This tapestry. I wanted to see what it was of. Please, could we find a place to hang it?" Arthur walked across the room and stared through the dim light at the tapestry. He silently asked if she would move aside so he could examine it, and found an odd marking on the side.

It was a simple one, the royal phoenix, but it seemed to make all the difference to Arthur.

"All the nobles tapestries are usually hung in the Temple of Time, but they were removed during Harkanian's reign. Princess Zelda has put them back up, though one was missing. This must be it." He seemed puzzled though. "Everything is coming into place, Father, why ever are you puzzled?" He studied the mark further. "The tapestries are usually copied off of paintings of the nobles and their family… I wonder who exactly is on this one…"

Victoria wondered that too, but she had a hunch that she knew who it was.

Shadow insisted he come with them to see it be hung up. When asked why he wanted to come, he simply shrugged an replied, "No reason." Victoria knew better. He was curious, too.

Link met them in town, or what had been reconstructed of it, and asked about the tapestry. Once it had been explained to him, he stayed with them, though when he was asked about why he wanted to follow, he actually told the truth. They asked Darunia if he could spare a few Gorons to help put it up, and he said yes.

"However, since the only Goron I can spare is myself, I'll do it. Don't worry Brother, I can do it on my own." They walked into the Temple and Darunia went straight to getting it hung.

"I'm about to let it down! You ready?" They all nodded. Arthur called out to him. "Yeah, we're ready." And the tapestry fell down with a dusty WHOPF!

It took a few moments for anything to really register. Surprisingly, it was Shadow who spoke first. "I've seen those people before, in a vision. But I never… and that's…!" He never finished his sentence. Victoria wandered up to the tapestry curiously, and read the text at the bottom of the long piece of cloth.

"It says here that these are nobles of Lanayru Province from left to right; Lord Serven Starlight, Lady Fay Starlight, Daniel Starlight, Link Avalon, Lady Fye Avalon, and Lord Gabriel Avalon." She stepped back to look at each person, eventually coming back to the infant child in Lady Starlight's arms. The pattern of strange colors in the child's abundant locks looked strangely like…

"Shadow."

Shadow nodded. "Yes, that child is me. What puzzles me though is why the women's names are so similar…" Then Victoria remembered something Shadow had mentioned to her not two days ago.

"Didn't you say that Ganondorf said something about your mother and Link's mother being sisters?" Shadow thought for a moment, then his face lit up as if a fire had just erupted into being above his head. "Yes, I remember… but, why is that relevant?" Victoria sighed. "If they're family, that would give them the excuse! And don't you see how much they look alike? They must be twins…" They did indeed look very much alike. Though one had platinum blond hair (Lady Fay) and the other had banana yellow hair (Lady Fye) their faces were shaped the same and had the same eerie red eyes. The men were obviously different, Lord Starlight having jet-black hair, dark blue eyes, and a thin set jaw, and Lord Avalon having dark blond hair and ice blue eyes, and a more square-set jaw, but the women looked like near mirror images.

"I remember them," muttered Arthur, "they were the only Sheikah twins in existence. Fay married the Upper Lanayru Province Lord around the same time Fye married the Lower Province Lord. They had their children around the same time, too. But it was shortly after that when their village was attacked…"

Link was still marveling at the tapestry. "So, we're… cousins?" Shadow nodded slowly, his mind elsewhere. "I suppose." But he still didn't say much. Victoria touched his arm. "You're bothered by the name aren't you?" Shadow nodded. "It doesn't feel… me anymore. My name is Shadow now, and always will be."

Victoria, Arthur, and even Link, could accept that.

.oOo.

It was nearly time for the celebration. Victoria and Shadow were hanging around near the Cucco coup, watching the people finish setting up.

"I had hoped to see you here tonight," said a voice behind them.

Neither of them was surprised to hear the voice, much less see the Princess walking toward them. What they were surprised to see was her arm around Link's, his cheeks glowing fiercely in the firelight from the high torches set all around Kakariko.

Shadow grinned as he finished turning around. "Finally come to your senses?" His cheeks flushed just a shade brighter (or so it seemed) and he nodded. "Something like that," he mumbled. Victoria laughed.

Zelda didn't quite understand the exchange but she figured it was probably best if she didn't know.

"So, I heard about what you saw on the tapestry from Arthur and… I wanted to ask you if you, Shadow, would like you title restored to you. After all, it is your birthright and Lanayru Province needs a noble to govern it. The royals are for the whole of the kingdom, but the nobles oversee each section of Hyrule. Do you consent?" Shadow looked at Link.

"Have you consented? It's your right as well." Link cleared his throat and said off-hand, "I haven't said anything yet, but I've given it some thought and… well, perhaps this is my chance to have some real purpose here."

Zelda scowled. "But you saved Hyrule from Ganondorf. Isn't that enough?" Now it was his turn to scowl. "But what comes after that, Zelda? I need roots, a home; if I don't have those things, I'll become a wanderer, and if I become that… I can't be with you." He said it with a slight wistful look in his eyes and a mournful touch in his voice.

"While something tells me I wouldn't mind wandering, I can't make you happy if I go down that road." Zelda shook her head and smiled. "You don't need to do that…" Link did the same but said nothing.

Shadow was lost in thought, thinking the proposition over. He wanted to give Victoria the best chance at life that she could have. Perhaps being nobility alone wasn't the way to go, but it was a start. "I think," he said at last, "that I would like my birthright restored. After all, I'm not unfamiliar with the concepts; Ganondorf did teach me some things before his power went to his head. Perhaps it's time I did my part in helping out with the restoration."

He grinned. "After all, I was unconscious and immobile for a better part of the past week. I'm ready to start doing something!" Victoria laughed and poked him gently in the ribs.

"Perhaps once your wounds finish healing. Your chest is still sore, remember?" He rubbed it softly. "I suppose." Then he looked up. "I see the orchestra's started playing… would you care for a dance?" Victoria was dressed in a rather pretty blue satin dress, her hair tied in the back with a classic blue satin bow. The only trinket she wore was her mother's necklace. Shadow was in a suit, which had a number of blue and white combinations that made him look rather dashing with his clean wispy feather-hair and crooked smile. She smiled.

"Yes, I would like a dance."

And so they softly tapped their feet in tune with the intro of the song, and let it take them away.

_I'll never let go of your hand,_

_I'll always be faithful, I know I can,_

_I'll never stop caring, I'll always be true,_

_I'll forever love you…_

That moment would always be engraved in their hearts. It was a memory that would never fade, and become part of them forever.

Perhaps, then, this new dawning, this new beginning wasn't so bad. It might be long and grueling, but in the end, it was worth it. This return to reality was it, their revolution. This was their chance to make something of themselves, whether to redeem past deeds, or to strengthen their own selves for the better. Shadow felt that was so.

So perhaps, then, it was true. This was the end, but also the beginning. The beginning of forever.

* * *

It feels good to actually end a story. I'm a little sad, but you'll be seeing them again. There's sort of something missing that I couldn't fit into this "tiny" epilogue, but I want to wrap up something else first. I'm thinking either my Host fic or my Charlie Bone fic will be the easiest, but yeah. I hope you liked.


End file.
